Govt Eyes Drones for Coastal Defense by Fiscal 2027; New Initiative Dubbed ‘SHIELD’ Will Operate on Air, Sea and Underwater

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, August 19, 2025

The Defense Ministry has decided to establish a new initiative to use unmanned vehicles in the air, at sea and underwater for coastal defense by fiscal 2027, according to government sources.

Called “SHIELD,” the plan seeks to deter foreign forces attempting to invade Japan, according to the sources. As unmanned vehicles can be introduced in large numbers due to being relatively inexpensive, the ministry aims to establish a cost-effective defense system.

Under the plan, unmanned aircraft will be launched from naval vessels, with unmanned surface vessels and unmanned submarines to intercept enemy ships on the water and underwater, respectively. Small unmanned aircraft will be launched from land to attack enemy ships approaching the coast.

The ministry also plans to begin experiments on introducing a control system to manage the simultaneous operation of a large number of unmanned vehicles.

In April, the ministry set up a team to examine future combat methods, including the use of unmanned vehicles, and has been considering approaches how to attack and conduct reconnaissance against targets. In light of the large-scale deployment of unmanned vehicles in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the ministry has determined that the establishment of a multi-layered defense system including such vehicles is an urgent priority.

Separately from the SHIELD initiative, the ministry is also advancing research on AI-equipped unmanned aircraft to support the next-generation fighter jets being jointly developed with Britain and Italy. It plans to acquire the U.S.-made “MQ-9B SeaGuardian” as an unmanned aircraft designed for long-endurance flights for maritime surveillance.

The ministry intends to include the costs required for the initiative in its budget request for the next fiscal year.