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Japan Wants 80,000 Military Drones a Year—and Ukraine’s War Lessons Are Driving the Push
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Japan is accelerating plans to acquire and develop drones, deepening cooperation with Ukraine and studying battlefield lessons from Russia’s war against Ukraine as Tokyo moves to deploy more unmanned systems at home, the South China Morning Post reported on June 30.
Ukrainian companies have begun offering combat-proven drone technologies to potential partners in Tokyo.
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In April, the CEO of Ukrainian company UFORCE visited Japan to present government officials and defense contractors with a proposal to produce thousands of drones for Japan’s defense and that of its allies.
“The entire international community has witnessed how the rules of warfare have changed since the start of the war in Ukraine, and Japan, like other countries, is now paying close attention to the development of UAVs that will carry out a significant share of combat missions on the future battlefield,” said Masayuki Masuda, director of the China studies division at Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies, the official think tank of Japan’s Defense Ministry.
According to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, the country currently produces around 1,000 military-use drones per year, but that number is expected to rise sharply.
On June 9, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a proposal to produce around 80,000 drones annually by 2030, although the final funding level has not yet been approved.
The push is not limited to Ukrainian cooperation. On June 26, European aerospace giant Airbus announced a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop UAVs for anti-submarine warfare.
The aircraft will be based on the U950 Eurodrone, which has a 26-meter wingspan and can reach a maximum speed of 500 km/h. The model, currently being developed for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, can carry up to 2,300 kilograms of laser-guided bombs and missiles.
Ukrainian companies are also working to secure drone components from friendly East Asian markets to reduce dependence on China.
Beijing produces many drone components and has introduced certain export restrictions. However, some of those parts are also made in Japan and Taiwan, which are home to suppliers of cameras, microelectronics, and other key components.
Japan’s defense buildup, planned for completion in 2027 as part of a five-year effort, includes the deployment of stand-off strike capabilities, missile defense networks, and unmanned systems, including aerial drones, ground vehicles, and unmanned submarines.
Japan previously sent Self-Defense Forces officers to NATO’s Ukraine support command in Germany for the first time.
The deployment marked another step in Tokyo’s deepening defense cooperation with NATO as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to reshape security policy far beyond Europe.
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