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From drones to space technology, Japan turns to startups to strengthen its defences
🇸🇬 Singapore /Technology

From drones to space technology, Japan turns to startups to strengthen its defences

From CNA · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Japan is expanding efforts to use dual-use technologies to strengthen national security and create new markets for domestic companies.
  • The government plans to establish research bases outside educational institutions by fiscal 2030 and deepen public-private cooperation.
  • Terra Drone is expanding into defence, raising funds and developing interceptor drones as a lower-cost response to threats such as Shahed drones.

Japan is looking to startups for technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes, from interceptor drones to nanoparticles designed to reduce reliance on rare metals. Tokyo sees the effort as a way to strengthen national security while opening new markets for Japanese companies.

The push reflects the growing role of emerging technologies in modern warfare and the wider concern over economic security. Japan plans to speed up dual-use research not only at universities and national research institutions, but also across the private sector. By fiscal 2030, it wants to establish research bases outside educational institutions through stronger cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Shahed is very dangerous, very commoditised and very cheap.

— Toru TokushigeThe Terra Drone chief executive described the challenge posed by low-cost Shahed drones.

For Terra Drone, the shift is already taking shape. Founded in 2016, the Japanese company has developed drones for search-and-rescue work, construction and infrastructure inspections. It is now moving into defence and seeking to raise 14.5 billion yen, or about $91 million, to support its expansion.

I continuously explained, these interceptor drones have become really important.

— Toru TokushigeTokushige said he repeatedly argued to Japan’s Ministry of Defense for interceptor drones.

Founder and chief executive Toru Tokushige said the use of relatively cheap drones in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had exposed the high cost of traditional air defence. He described Shahed drones as “very dangerous, very commoditised and very cheap.” Tokushige said he had visited Japan’s Ministry of Defense more than 50 times to promote interceptor drones as a less expensive way to counter the threat.

In June, Terra Drone acquired stakes in two Ukrainian interceptor-drone companies, giving it access to a setting where the technology can be tested and refined frequently. The company still faces restrictions on arms exports from Ukraine. Tokushige said testing could be conducted daily and at reasonable prices, but added that Terra Drone was still working to install the technology.

Every day, we can do testing and also prices are reasonable.

— Toru TokushigeHe described the benefits of testing interceptor-drone technology in Ukraine.
About this summary

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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