Founded as Nagasaki Shipyard when Yataro Iwasaki leases the government-owned Nagasaki facility from the Meiji government; foundation of Japan's modern shipbuilding and the Mitsubishi zaibatsu

A6M Zero fighter prototype project begins (first flight 1939); becomes signature WWII Imperial Japanese Navy fighter — over 10,000 produced

Type 12 SSM (anti-ship missile) enters JGSDF service; coastal defense modernization; later (Dec 2023) extended-range variant ordered as first major Japanese stand-off strike capability

First F-35A assembled at Komaki Aircraft Works final assembly and check-out (FACO) facility; Japan domestic F-35 production starts

Selected as F-X (later GCAP) prime for Japan; replaces F-2 fleet from 2035+; partners with BAE Systems Tempest team — historic UK-Japan-Italy 6th-gen alignment

GCAP merger announced: Japan F-X joins UK Tempest + Italy as 6th-gen partner; first major UK-Japan defense pact — historic shift from US-Japan-only fighter cooperation

Mogami-class FFM frigate first 4 hulls in service; rapid build cadence for cost-effective frigate (~$370M each, half the cost of Maya-class destroyer); 22 hulls planned

Type 12 SSM extended-range variant ordered (~1,000km range); surface-launched land-attack first major Japanese stand-off strike capability — counter-strike doctrine inflection

Japan-US AAV-7 amphibious replacement won by BAE/AMV but MHI awarded JGSDF Type 23 IFV development; counter-amphibious lift modernization

Philippines orders 5 coastal Type 12 SSM batteries; Japan's first major lethal-systems export under 2014 lifted Three Principles on Arms Transfer

GCAP Edgewing JV (BAE+MHI+Leonardo) operational headquartered Reading UK; lead organization for next-gen fighter program; Japan workshare ~33%