Overview
- Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, which held a ceremony Monday at the Defense Ministry, launched two units to drive drone research and procurement.
- The seven-person push office is led by Col. Kenji Kobayashi, with Col. Hidenobu Fujiwara heading the six-person equipment office that handles buying, supply and maintenance.
- Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called unmanned systems a key way to operate in dangerous areas while cutting risk to soldiers, pointing to heavy drone use in Ukraine and recent Middle East fighting.
- The Defense Ministry is advancing a five-year plan through fiscal 2027 to spend about ¥1 trillion to buy thousands of aerial and surface drones across the Self-Defense Forces.
- The shift also responds to staffing shortfalls, with the SDF at 89.1% of authorized strength at the end of fiscal 2024 and the ground force at 87.7%, which pressures units to automate.