During the 2014-2019 period, Japan plans to buy three drones, likely a Global Hawk, as well as 28 F-35A fighters, 17 MV-22 Osprey aircraft and five destroyers including two with Aegis anti-ballistic-missile systems. The purchases would cost 24.7 trillion yen ($247 billion), up 5 percent from the previous plan.

The revised 5-year defense plan was adopted by the Cabinet along with a new national security strategy that reflects Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drive to raise the profile of Japan's military and have the country play a bigger role in international diplomacy and security.

The previous 5-year plan beginning 2011 adopted by the now-opposition Democratic Part of Japan slashed the defense budget 750 billion yen, or 3-percent. It also cut forces by 1,000 troops, while the current plan maintains current troop levels.

The policies, including a five-year military buildup and a 10-year defense guideline, call for stronger air and maritime surveillance capabilities and improved ability to defend far-flung islands through such steps as setting up a marine unit, buying unarmed surveillance drones and putting a unit of E-2C early-warning aircraft on Okinawa island in the south.

In the two decades through last year, Japan was the sixth-biggest military spender, just behind Britain, with outlays rising 13 percent in constant 2011 dollar terms, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. By contrast, China's defense spending exploded more than five-fold, vaulting the country to second place from seventh.

The new defense plan calls for setting up an amphibious unit similar to the U.S. Marines as part of the ground defense forces to respond quickly in case of a foreign invasion of those islands. It will also deploy early warning system, submarines and anti-missile defense system to step up intelligence in the area.