Japan Accelerates Development of Domestic Drones to Reduce Reliance on Chinese Products

(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 5th, Comprehensive Foreign News) Japan is accelerating the development of domestically produced small drones. As Chinese products dominate the global market, the Japanese government is promoting domestic production through subsidies from a security perspective, and collaborative efforts between government agencies and private companies are making progress.

According to Kyodo News, in addition to the startup ACSL, many companies are advancing the development of "dual-use" products that serve both civilian and defense purposes.

ACSL develops and produces the "SOTEN" defense small aerial reconnaissance drone. From 2023 to 2025, the company received orders for approximately 1,000 units from the Ministry of Defense and has delivered over 600 units. Representative Director Shoji Terayama stated at an exhibition held in Chiba City on the 4th, "A drone that can only conduct reconnaissance when under attack cannot fulfill a defense role," indicating an intention to develop attack-type drones.

Terra Drone and Prodrone are also working on defense applications. In Japan, drones were initially expected to help alleviate labor shortages in fields such as agriculture and transportation, but their use as weapons in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has rapidly spurred the trend of developing defense-purpose drones.

Currently, China's DJI holds a dominant position with approximately 70% of the global drone market. The Japanese government views excessive reliance on Chinese products as a major security concern and plans to establish a production system for 80,000 units by 2030.

Defense Minister Minoru Kojima visited Prodrone's production site in May, stating that "new operational methods combining drones with artillery shells have emerged," and emphasized the necessity of domestically produced drones. (Editor: Hongru He) 1150605