The ministry said that it will acquire an unspecified number of surface ship-launched UAVs, small ship-based UAVs, and small multi-role USVs for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to build SHEILD.
Defense officials said the plan would involve purchasing existing UAVs and USVs, primarily from foreign manufacturers, but did not reveal the names of the foreign companies involved, nor did they say which JMSDF vessels would be equipped with the drones.
Still, they said that surface-launched UAVs will attack enemy ships from JMSDF ships. Meanwhile, small ship-based UAVs will improve the intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities of surface vessels, and will also be able to attack enemy vessels.
In early July, JMSDF official told Naval News that the U.S. aerospace and defense technology company Shield AI’s V-BAT is being considered as an UAV to be installed on the upgraded Mogami-class frigate, or New FFM.
In fact, the JMSDF has already decided to equip its new patrol vessels, with a standard displacement of 1,900 tons, with the V-BAT. Under the Defense Buildup Program adopted in December 2022, the MoD plans to acquire 12 patrol vessels over the next decade. The fiscal 2025 defense budget earmarks 4 billion yen for the procurement of six V-BAT systems for new patrol vessels.
In addition to purchasing additional MQ-9B SeaGuardian, which have already been decided for deployment to the JMSDF, the plan also includes the purchase of the inexpensive Turkish-made attack drone, the Bayraktar TB2, which costs about 700 million yen per unit.
In addition, the defense ministry requested $15.7 million to fund costs to conduct demonstration tests for simultaneous control of a large number of such various unmanned assets.
