Mitsubishi and 4 other companies return to the top 100 defense contractors, Minister Takamiya excitedly announces: Japan is back!\nOn December 1, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the latest edition of the "Global Top 100 Defense Contractors Ranking." In this authoritative list, Japan has 5 companies ranked among the top 100, namely: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (32nd), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (55th), Fujitsu (64th), Mitsubishi Electric (76th), and Nippon Electric Company (NEC, 83rd).\nThis is not only the highest number of Japanese companies listed since the end of the Cold War, but it is also noteworthy that the total sales of military products and related defense businesses for these 5 companies increased by 40% compared to the previous year, ranking first in growth among all countries globally.\nBehind this number is a direct result of a series of policies and financial support. According to public data from Japan's Ministry of Defense, the defense budget for fiscal year 2024 has surpassed 8.5 trillion yen (approximately 56 billion USD) for the first time, an increase of 16.5% from 2023, marking a historical high for the 12th consecutive year.\nTakamiya stated: "This is the result of the synergy between Japan's industrial strength and national security strategy, marking Japan's return as an important participant in the global defense field." She also emphasized that efforts will be made to further relax the "three principles of defense equipment exports" to support companies in expanding overseas markets.\nJapan's defense cooperation with countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia is also accelerating. For example, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is collaborating with Lockheed Martin to produce components for the JSM long-range cruise missile, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries is participating in the joint development of hypersonic weapon interception systems with the United States and Japan.\nIn fact, whether it's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or Kawasaki Heavy Industries, both have been notoriously infamous companies in history. Their return to the global top 100 defense contractors list is truly a huge tragedy.