Japan’s Defense Ministry is planning to request a record budget of over 8 trillion yen ($54 billion) for fiscal 2025, featuring the deployment of drones to better protect remote islands amid China’s growing military assertiveness, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. It would be the first time the ministry has sought more than 8 trillion yen, surpassing the record 7.9 trillion yen initial budget for fiscal 2024, which runs through next March. The request for the fiscal year starting in April next year would contain costs to acquire attack drones for the security of the southwestern Na…