JISDA Releases Report on Three Years of Field Research on the Ukrainian Frontline

JISDA Inc. (Japan Integrated Security Design Agency, hereinafter "JISDA") has released a report summarizing what Japan should learn from modern warfare, based on three years of field research on the Ukrainian battlefield.

The founding team of JISDA has been conducting continuous field research in Ukraine for approximately three years, even before the company was established. The research was not limited to the capital or rear areas but extended to the areas surrounding the frontlines, which are directly affected by combat, and even regions near the border with Russia. At the closest point, the team traveled to within approximately 20km of the frontline, continuously observing, listening, and analyzing the environments in which equipment is used, how it wears out, how it is repaired, and what the operators truly need.

In this research, JISDA placed particular importance on gathering information from the units actually operating the equipment, rather than just understanding the perspective of companies and manufacturers. The reason for this is that truly practical insights into modern warfare exist not only in the logic of developers and suppliers, but within the operational realities of units that use the equipment in the field, deal with wear and tear, and carry out missions while making necessary modifications. In the field, it is not uncommon for products provided by companies to be modified, reinforced, or nearly redesigned based on the unit's judgment rather than being used as-is. JISDA has conducted continuous field research based on the voices of these units, believing that directly grasping these on-the-ground realities is essential for considering the future of Japan's security, defense industry, and equipment development.

Against this backdrop, the research process was not always limited to environments where safety was fully guaranteed. In high-tension areas, including those within range of incoming glide bombs, the team directly confirmed how the realities of modern warfare continue to change, capturing the speed of the frontline and the demands of the field that cannot be seen through information gathering from desks or the rear. JISDA is undoubtedly the startup in Japan most knowledgeable about the current situation in Ukraine. The report released by JISDA this time organizes the perspectives that are important for Japan's security, defense industry, and equipment development, based on the accumulation of such continuous field research.

Background of the Report Publication We believe that we must learn from the realities of modern warfare not to wage war, but to prevent war and protect peace. Refusing to face reality does not fulfill our responsibility to peace. That is why JISDA has not just followed fragmented information from afar, but has traveled to the field to continue seeing what is happening on the frontlines.

On the Ukrainian frontline, the nature of equipment and operations is changing at an extremely rapid pace, even at this very moment. Drones, electronic warfare, communications, anti-jamming measures, improvised repairs, parts replacement, field maintenance—in modern battlefields, designs and operations deemed effective in the rear are often no longer sufficient by the time they reach the front. The reality is that frequencies used, video transmission, navigation, antenna placement, drone airframe configuration, and payload handling are being reviewed on a weekly basis, or sometimes even faster.

What JISDA has seen in the field is that these changes are not merely technical trends, but structural realities directly linked to soldier survivability and mission success. Equipment is not something that is finished once it is made. It is used, countered, broken, repaired, and used again. That cycle itself has become a part of combat power in modern warfare. This report organizes the challenges Japan must face, based on these realities on the ground.

Details of this report can be viewed on the official JISDA website. [Download the report here] https://jisda.jp/news-detail/?id=g_iuaqqhb

Overview of the Report This report points out that in modern high-intensity conflicts, especially on battlefields where large numbers of drones are deployed, the very premises of equipment development have changed significantly.

In peacetime, it is often assumed that weapons and defense equipment are tested, procured, and deployed to units after a long research and development period. However, this premise has collapsed on the modern battlefield. It is no longer enough to finish equipment once; the ability to continuously change it based on operational results has become crucial.

Furthermore, what determines the effectiveness of equipment on the frontline is not just the numbers listed on a spec sheet. Harsh radio environments, jamming, threats of detection and localization, fatigued operators, communication outages, incomplete maintenance environments, differences in proficiency between units, and factors like spare parts and repairability all overlap to determine whether equipment is truly usable. A key awareness of this report is that the "passing grade" on a specification sheet does not necessarily match "effectiveness" on the battlefield.

Main Perspectives Presented by JISDA Based on field research on the Ukrainian frontline, this report presents the following points as perspectives that Japan should prioritize in the future:

1. Assume the development speed of the battlefield and feed frontline feedback back into design In modern warfare, the improvement cycle for equipment is extremely short. A development system that continues to improve in short cycles, rather than finishing once, is essential. To achieve this, it is important to have a mechanism that continuously reflects not only requirements organized in the rear but also the voices of frontline users and actual operational realities back into the design, returning the changes happening in the field to development. In Ukraine, there are voices saying that procurement from the central government takes so long that by the time it reaches the units, it is outdated and often useless.

2. Think in terms of real-world specifications, not procurement specifications Even if minimum standards such as a certain flight distance, payload weight, or video transmission are met, that does not necessarily mean it is sufficient for actual combat. One must look at whether it works in strong jamming environments, whether it can be handled in a short time, whether it is easy to repair in the field, and whether mission continuity is possible during communication outages or GNSS failures. Furthermore, it is required to weave "margin" into the design to ensure it remains usable even when anticipating jamming, wear, environmental degradation, and operational chaos.

3. Bring test environments closer to reality and evaluate including their limitations One cannot fully determine the effectiveness of equipment in actual combat through safe and stable peacetime test environments alone. Evaluations that incorporate elements such as jamming, uncertainty, communication outages, GNSS failures, deteriorating maintenance environments, and operator load as much as possible are necessary. Additionally, regarding verification based on virtual environments including digital twins, it is important to have a perspective that constantly evaluates how effective they are against the real battlefield and to discern both their limitations and effectiveness.

Positioning of this Report The report released this time is a summary of a small fraction of the knowledge accumulated through field research on the Ukrainian frontline for the general public. It is not intended for specific individual cases or product evaluations, but rather to present what perspectives Japan should have as it considers the future of its security, defense industry, and equipment development.

JISDA places importance on not letting the knowledge gained in the field end as mere anecdotes, but transforming it into structural implications that contribute to Japan's future and returning it to society. This document is also just a small part of the overall picture of such efforts and does not cover all the knowledge accumulated in the field.

JISDA plans to continue organizing and disseminating this knowledge, and will publish it sequentially as reports and recommendations. We will expand discussions that contribute to the state of Japan's security, technology, industry, and systems, deepening the content in a serial and continuous manner rather than as a one-off announcement. We will also provide knowledge to companies that need it in an appropriate form according to their respective challenges and interests.

The reality of modern warfare is connected to a wide range of industrial sectors, not just areas directly related to defense and security, including drones, communications, electronic warfare response, dual-use technology, related materials, software, and manufacturing bases. JISDA will fulfill the role of connecting the realities we have seen in the field to Japan's technology, industry, and systems.

Comment from Shota Kunii, CEO of JISDA The defense industry has higher stakes for failure than ordinary consumer goods. When a product fails to be useful, the loss is not just a matter of sales. It leads directly to mission failure, equipment loss, and danger to human life.

That is why it is important to understand the reality of modern warfare and, through that knowledge, create equipment that can save as many lives as possible. Selling products that only meet the minimum performance of procurement requirements without knowing the frontline ultimately puts the field in danger. Conversely, correctly understanding the speed of the frontline, the reality of operations, and the necessity of improvement, and pursuing specifications that exceed required performance is the attitude necessary for Japan's future defense capabilities.

We learn from the realities of the battlefield not to wage war. It is to prevent war from happening, and to protect as many lives as possible in the event of an emergency. Deterrence is not just about having equipment, but also the power to prevent crises themselves by having preparations based on reality, thereby preventing the opponent from making miscalculations.

What is required of Japan now is to understand what is happening on battlefields around the world, and with a clear view of that reality, to have the philosophy and mechanisms to prevent war and protect peace. To that end, we have traveled to the field and accumulated the necessary knowledge. That process naturally involves corresponding tension and risk. Nevertheless, JISDA will continue to take on challenges to protect Japan, the world, and to maintain peace.