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Japan Turns to Ukraine’s Battle-Tested Drone Killers, Signs Deal With SkyFall
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Japan has signed a contract to purchase Ukrainian-made interceptor drones from defense manufacturer SkyFall, marking a new step in defense cooperation between Tokyo and Kyiv as Japan seeks to strengthen its counter-drone capabilities.
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According to Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, speaking at a press conference on October 9, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has already finalized the procurement agreement and is working to arrange deliveries as quickly as possible.
Neither the number of drones ordered nor the contract’s value has been made public. Japanese officials have also not specified which SkyFall interceptor models or configurations will be delivered.
SkyFall develops several types of military unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Vampire heavy bomber drone, Shrike FPV attack drones, and the P1-SUN family of aerial interceptors.
The P1-SUN series includes multiple configurations, some equipped with artificial intelligence modules. The company has also developed the P1-SUN JetKiller, a faster variant designed to intercept high-speed aerial targets, including Russian jet-powered drones.
In late September, SkyFall released footage showing a P1-SUN JetKiller intercepting a Russian Geran-5 jet-powered drone, demonstrating the system’s ability to engage targets moving at higher speeds than conventional propeller-driven attack drones.
During the press conference, Koizumi also highlighted Ukraine’s experience in developing and continuously upgrading military technology under battlefield conditions.
The Japanese defense minister pointed to Ukraine’s rapid feedback process, which allows manufacturers to introduce improved drone configurations approximately every two to three weeks based on operational experience.
Koizumi said Japan could learn from Ukraine’s approach to defense innovation, particularly its ability to translate battlefield feedback into technological improvements while expanding domestic defense production.
He also emphasized the importance of strengthening Japan’s deterrence and response capabilities, indicating that Tokyo would continue examining measures to reinforce its defense industrial base.
Earlier, on June 12, SkyFall signed a strategic partnership agreement with Airbus Defence and Space to develop next-generation air defense solutions. The cooperation focuses on integrating SkyFall’s P1-SUN interceptor drones with Airbus’s Air C2 airspace management system to strengthen protection against aerial threats across Ukraine and Europe.
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