Leading Japanese defence contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, known for building destroyers and missiles, is expanding into small defense drones as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the crucial role of low-cost drones.
Mitsubishi Heavy has developed a mass production prototype of an interceptor drone that can take out enemy drones. The Japanese company is considering pitching it for adoption by the Ministry of Defense.
The interceptor drone “was developed in three months with the collaboration between the research and business divisions,” Mitsubishi Heavy President Eisaku Ito said.
The Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict have showcased the ability of drones to handle strikes, reconnaissance and defense inexpensively. Global demand for interceptor drones is rising, considering the costs of shooting down attack drones with conventional air defense missiles.
“Ukraine’s fighting techniques can serve as a reference”
for the Japan Self-Defense Forces, a national security source said.
Mitsubishi Heavy previously revealed that it is developing a large unmanned aerial vehicle to support crewed fighter jets. But in response to the Ukraine war, the company appears to also be developing small drones deployable in large numbers.
This was made apparent in May when Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi posed for a photo at a Mitsubishi Heavy facility that he later posted on X. The photo revealed a previously undisclosed attack drone, along with a small drone said to be low-cost and capable of being mass-produced.
Japan plans to establish a homegrown industry that will supply drones at scale. Mitsubishi Heavy’s efforts on the drone front appear to come in response to this initiative.
In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy is entering a field led by such startups as Terra Drone and ACSL. The arrival of a major defense contractor is of great significance.
Such contractors would apply their expertise in system integration and mass production technology cultivated from overseeing larger projects. And through tying into command and control systems, the drones could be sold as part of a package linked with other hardware, such as fighter jets and warships.
Major contractors also would be able to help navigate the regulatory hurdles of bringing defense drones into practical use, as well as in testing the drones under development.
“The know-how and experience gained from working closely with the Ministry of Defense on the development of large equipment will be valuable in drone development as well,”
said Hirohito Ogi, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics.
On the other hand, small drones have low unit prices, making it difficult for a private-sector company to maintain such a business without large and continuous orders.
The Japanese government “needs to make a firm commitment to the scale of procurement” if a drone-making industry is to be developed, Ogi said.
Source: Asia Nikkei