Japan's military is constitutionally limited to a
self-defence role.
But PM Shinzo Abe is looking to expand the
scope of its activities - potentially a highly
controversial move that would anger its
neighbours.
Japan is embroiled in a bitter row over islands
with China and is deeply concerned by North
Korea's nuclear ambitions.
The interim report is part of a defence review
ordered by Mr Abe, with final proposals due by
December.
On Sunday, Mr Abe won back control of Japan's
Upper House, meaning he now controls
parliament and would be in a stronger position
to reshape Japan's current defence strategy.
'Deter and respond'
Under Article 9 of its post-war constitution, Japan
is blocked from the use of force to resolve
conflicts except in the case of self-defence.
But Mr Abe has indicated he wants to re-examine
the role of Japan's military to meet the changing
security environment in the Asia-Pacific region.
"This will guide the focus of the direction that the
Self Defence Forces should be heading going
forward," Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori
Onodera said of the report.
Amphibious units that could be dispatched
quickly to remote islands were needed, the
report said, and surveillance equipment to detect
"at an early stage signs of changes in the security
situation".
The report also called for a strengthened ability
to "to deter and respond to ballistic missiles".
"Japan needs to enhance its ability to respond to
ballistic missile attacks in a comprehensive
manner," Kyodo news agency quoted the report
as saying.
But officials have been keen to emphasise that
this does not mean Japan is eyeing pre-emptive
strikes on enemy targets.
"It is necessary to consider whether we should
have the option to strike an enemy's missile
launch facilities," an unidentified defence
ministry official told Reuters news agency.
"But we are not at all thinking about initiating
attacks on enemy bases when we are not under
attack."
The move comes amid a raft of tensions and
potentially challenging security issues.
North Korea conducted what was widely seen as
a long-range missile test in December 2012 and
followed up with its third test of a nuclear device
in February 2013.
China, meanwhile, is locked in a dispute with
Japan over East China Sea islands known as
Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Japan controls the islands but Chinese ships have
been sailing in and out of what Japan says are its
territorial waters since late last year, as tensions
increased.
On Wednesday Japan scrambled fighter jets after
a Chinese government plane flew in international
air space near the islands.
China said it was on a routine training mission;
Mr Abe said it was "an unusual action that we
have never seen before".
Japan has also voiced concern over increases in
China's military spending, accusing Beijing of a
lack of transparency.
Japan military 'needs
marines and drones'
Tensions between China and Japan over East
China Sea islands remain high
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The Japanese people
forever renounce war
as a sovereign right of
the nation and the
threat or use of force
as means of settling
international
disputes... land, sea,
and air forces, as well
as other war
potential, will never
be maintained”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23433070