Japan Eyes Mass Drone Use for Coastal Defense

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)--Amid an increasingly severe security environment, Japan's Defense Ministry plans to establish a coastal defense system using thousands of drones, while there are still many issues to overcome.

The "Shield" defense system will involve more than 10 types of drones, including those for attacking enemy ships, collecting information and protecting radar sites, to thwart enemy advances in a multilayered manner.

The government's fiscal 2026 budget bill allocates around 100 billion yen for the drone defense system, which the ministry aims to implement in fiscal 2027.

Drones have been deployed in large numbers during the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and they are said to have changed the nature of warfare.

In recent years, apparent Chinese military aircraft have flown near Japan, prompting the Air Self-Defense Force to scramble its jets. "If we just keep the conventional way of combat, we'll be left behind," said a senior ministry official.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]