Japan Adopts New Counterterrorism Plan, Lacks Operational Drone Interception Capabilities
Japan's Cabinet has formally adopted a comprehensive counterterrorism action plan to address chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats. This plan includes the creation of a new expert advisory panel and a cross-ministry intelligence body specifically tasked with tracking drones and artificial intelligence tools that could be weaponized. The expert panel, composed of medical doctors, academics, and former anti-terrorism officers, will advise a prime-minister-headed antiterrorism headquarters during an attack. The intelligence body will focus on collecting and analyzing information on potential drone and AI threats. However, both new entities are advisory and analytical, lacking the authority or capability to physically detect, track, or intercept weaponized drones over urban areas. This structural gap highlights a significant challenge in Japan's counterterrorism posture, as officials acknowledge the evolving threat model where commercially available drones can deliver dange... 
