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Air

Terra Labo Completes 50 Hours of Test Flights with “Terra D…

On March 31, Terra Labo, a drone developer based in Aichi Prefecture, announced the successful completion of a flight performance evaluation for its "Terra Dolphin VTOL," which logged a total of 50 hours between January and March. This long-range fixed-wing UAV features vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, eliminating the need for a runway. Built to withstand extended flights over the…

04/25/2025 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone East Asia Business Air ISR Disaster Prevention

Japan's First Drone Surveillance Radar System Installed at K…

On January 23, Nippon Kaiyo Co., Ltd. announced the deployment of the U.S.-developed “Gryphon R1410” as Japan’s first drone surveillance radar system, in collaboration with the New York-based nonprofit research and development company SRC, Inc. Certified by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), this radar system is the country’s first counter-unmanned aircraft system …

02/03/2025 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone North America East Asia Business

"GCAP" Defense Budget in FY 2025: Opportunities for Japan’s…

On December 27, the Cabinet of Japan approved a historic defense budget of 8.7 trillion yen (approximately 55 billion USD). On the same day, the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) released its latest defense budget report for fiscal year 2025 [1], outlining a range of upcoming funding initiatives relevant to Japan’s defense industry—particularly in the aerospace sector, as the nation advances its …

01/17/2025 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Aircraft

Boeing Japan Secures ATLA Contract for Unmanned Combat Aeria…

On December 10, it was made public that the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has concluded a contract with Boeing Japan Co., Ltd. for the “research and development of unmanned aerial vehicles [UAV] capable of combat in collaboration with manned aircraft”. The contract, signed on October 18 and worth 155,177,000 JPY (approx. 1 million USD) [1], will see the U.S.-based aerospace …

12/13/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone East Asia Government

Yakushima Airport Pioneers “Relief Marking” Luminescence T…

On 09 October, the Relief Marking Promotion Association (RMPA) based in Ichinoseki City, Iwata Prefecture announced collaboration with Kagoshima Prefecture in applying its highly luminant RM (= Relief Marking) paint to the center line of the runway of Yakushima Airport located off the coast of southern Kyushu. Yakushima is the first domestic airport in Japan to have this phosphorescent paint[1] a…

10/25/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Business

Japan’s Aerosense Demonstrates Cutting-Edge eVTOL Drone for…

On August 8, Aerosense Inc., a Japanese developer of cutting-edge drones, AI, and cloud computing solutions, held a demonstration of the company’s ‘Aerobo Wing’ (AS-VT01K) fixed-wing electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) drone at Moriya Airfield on the outskirts of Tokyo for a group of prospective clients from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).The Aerobo Wing (AS-VT…

08/28/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone East Asia Southeast Asia

The Ministry of Defense Sells a Patriot Missile to U.S. Forc…

On July 28, the Ministry of Defense announced that it had signed a contract to sell to the U.S. forces the “Patriot,” air-defense interceptor missile owned by the Air Self-Defense Force. The contract is worth about 3 billion yen (about 20 million dollars). The ministry did not disclose the number of missiles or the timing of the contract. Japan will make up for a shortage of Patriot missiles in …

08/26/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

North America East Asia Government

Japan Defense Ministry’s Budget Request for Fiscal 2025 Rep…

The Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) is planning to request for fiscal 2025 a record 8.4 trillion-yen (approx. 58 billion USD) budget, from which a potential 3 billion yen (approx. 21 million USD) could be earmarked for miniature attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to numerous sources cited in the Japanese press. Attack UAVs are considered “game-changers” in future warfare, and it…

08/26/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone East Asia Government

Ministry of Defense Reveals Fresh Details on New Company to …

On August 2, the Japan Ministry of Defense disclosed new information about the mandate of the Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC), a joint aerospace initiative launched last month by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC), in a document titled “Building an Industry-Academia-Government Research & Development Ecosystem in the Secu…

08/20/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia

Japan, U.S. to Jointly Research Electromagnetic Wave Technol…

On July 16, the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed to proceed with joint development to put a system to practical use that irradiates “high-power microwaves” onto flying enemy drones to break down them. This system irradiates enemy drones and other objects with powerful microwaves, breaking them down by causing them to malfunction or burn out their electronic circuits. Compared to ammunition …

08/09/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone North America East Asia Government

ATLA Solicits Companies for Information on Successors to the…

Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has opened calls for private companies to provide information on prospective successor models to the TC-90 trainer and LC-90 liaison aircraft currently in operation by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). On July 31, ATLA published online a “Call for Companies to Provide Information regarding a Next Generation Training Aircraft…

08/09/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Government

Subaru Wins the “International Standard” for Drone Collisi…

Subaru has won the international standard for unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Since drones are capable of transporting goods remotely without human intervention, countries around the world are competing in terms of technology as a last-ditch measure to tackle the labor shortage in logistics. If Subaru’s reputation in the aerial field grows, business opportunities will expand dramatically. How …

08/07/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Drone East Asia

Airbus Announces Plan to Establish a Tech Hub in Tokyo

On May 23rd, major European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced that it would establish its first research and development center in Japan. Aiming to develop next-generation aircraft, the center will primarily focus on three fields: “Development of new materials”, “Decarbonizing technology”, and “Automation”. It will collaborate with universities and companies that possess foundational te…

06/14/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

Business

Number of U.S. Fighter Aircraft Models to be Serviced in Jap…

The Japanese government will increase the number of models of U.S. forces fighter jets stationed in Japan that are regularly serviced in Japan. The Japanese government will ask Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI, which have a record of servicing Air Self-Defense Force’s aircraft, whether they can expand their acceptance. The government will plan to create a system to respond flexibly to developm…

06/05/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

North America East Asia Government

Boeing Opens Research and Development Center in Nagoya

The U.S. major aircraft manufacturing company “Boeing” opened its first research base in Japan “Boeing Japan Research Center” in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. The opening ceremony of the center was held on April 18th. The center is located in the central region of Japan, known for its thriving aerospace industry with the aim of accelerating efforts toward decarbonizing aircraft. Aichi and Gifu pr…

05/15/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

North America East Asia

Japan-U.S. to Jointly Develop Next-Gen Air Self-Defense Forc…

The Japanese and U.S. governments are coordinating to jointly develop a successor to the T4, a training aircraft for Air Self-Defense Force fighter pilots. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is visiting the U.S. as a state guest and aims to reach an agreement at the summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden scheduled for April 10 in Washington, D.C., and to specify the agreement in the outcome docume…

04/12/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

North America East Asia Government

The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Agree on Export of …

The government has been examining a proposed amendment of operational guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology to export next-generation fighters which Japan is co-developing with the United Kingdom and Italy to third countries. Now, the amendment outline has been revealed. The pillar of this amendment is that export items are limited to next-generation fi…

04/05/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Government

Cross-Party Agreement: Prime Minister Declares "Export of Ne…

The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party are considering the possibility of agreeing by the end of the month to allow Japan to export to third countries the next-generation fighter jet that it is jointly developing with the U.K. and Italy. The agreement will be conditional on the establishment of measures to prevent conflict from encouraging. This would be a major step forward in securing hi…

03/29/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Government

Liberal Democratic Party Requested the Prime Minister to Per…

There were growing calls in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to persuade Komeito over the transfer to a third country of the next fighter jet that Japan is jointly developing with the U.K. and Italy. Akihisa Nagashima, a member of the LDP House of Representatives, requested at a February 5th meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, "I want you to…

03/05/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Government

Talks on Fighters' Exports Stagnate, Risk of Losing Business…

The ruling party's working group to develop measures to expand exports of defense equipment did not resume talks in January of this year. No progress has been made on the transfer to third countries of the next generation of fighters to be jointly developed with the U.K. and Italy, despite Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's instruction to resume talks as soon as possible. If the postponement continues…

02/27/2024 NSBT Japan Editorial Department

East Asia Government

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