There are, indeed, hot buyers in the Middle East. You're so direct
@TaiShang ! lol.
Niiice!
I prefer this , tho.
On apparatus-to-apparatus comparison, I have every reasons (core techs, advancement of industrialization, craftman-ship, etc) to believe Japanese weaponry will be the best in the world. However unlike other consumption-driven industrial products, Japan has to overcome a lot more challenges in weaponry exports.
Weaponry are purchased by governments with public money, i.e. decided by politicians, hence it's heavily influenced by politics. Despite being a tech/economic giant, Japan has yet little political clout compared with her peer competitors. Say in Middle East, a hot market, politics there are dominated by US and the rest of UNSC P5.
Actual combat experience. Again this gotta do with political clout. Other competitors can lobby their respective governments into controllable regional wars, in order to display their products.
Geopolitical constraints will limit the market size. The French almost succeed in selling the Mistral, but in the end geopolitics dictates the game.
However I am still optimistic with Japan's weaponry exports. In light of a slowly weakening US international influence, the American MIC's might be slowly loosing the clout they used to have, so that Japanese defense contractors can start to fill in the gap with their mind blogging quality products. Initial opportunities might include selling the premium products within the developed world (e.g. UK, Australia, Singapore, SK), the cash-rich GCC states, and selling the cost-effective products to the less developed NATO countries, and geopolitically neutral states in global south.
