Japan and China to Promote "Unmanned" Initiatives through Newly Established Institutions

According to a report by Reference News on April 8, the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces have basically confirmed that they will establish a dedicated agency within the Ground Self-Defense Force this month to promote the application of "unmanned equipment" such as drones. This move aims to accelerate the enhancement of the unmanned and automated levels of equipment by drawing lessons from the "new forms of warfare" demonstrated in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflicts.

According to several government-related sources, the initial scale of this agency will be more than ten people, with plans to form an "unmanned unit" primarily focused on drones, as well as a "labor-saving unit" that utilizes artificial intelligence to promote operational automation, focusing on research into combat concepts and supporting equipment systems.

The report states that although unmanned equipment is currently mainly focused on aircraft, the Ground Self-Defense Force is planning a long-term layout, striving to achieve coordinated operations between unmanned vehicles and manned tanks and armored vehicles.

In addition, promoting the transformation to unmanned and automated systems is also aimed at alleviating the increasingly severe "manpower shortage" faced by the Japan Self-Defense Forces. By the end of fiscal year 2024, the personnel adequacy rate of the Self-Defense Forces is only expected to be 89.1% (with a planned strength of about 247,000). Ministry of Defense officials emphasized: "To protect our valuable Self-Defense personnel, we must seek the 'optimal combination' of manned and unmanned equipment."

Currently, the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces are making every effort to expand the application of drones, including exploring the feasibility of introducing long-range attack drones. (Translated by Chen Rui)