Japan Is Developing a Combat Drone to Protect Fighter Jets
Japan is developing an autonomous combat drone that will fly alongside fighter jets, detect enemy aircraft, and potentially take out any missiles they launch.
As Nikkei reports(Opens in a new window), the development project is thought to be a joint venture with the US and a prototype combat drone is expected to be ready to test by 2025. Assuming the prototype performs well, the final drones will launch in 2035 to support the new fighter jet Japan is currently developing to replace the Mitsubishi F-2, which is also expected to launch in 2035.
The new drone will be capable of receiving instructions from the pilots of the aircraft they are flying with as well as a remote base station. However, they will also rely on artificial intelligence to assess terrain and weather conditions, which will ultimately govern how they fly. In order to protect fighter jets from enemy attack, the Japanese government is considering allowing this new class of drone to carry missiles.
Drones are already used by Japan's Self-Defense Forces, but they are only for surveillance purposes. They are sourced from US manufacturers, such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk supplied by Northrop Grumman, but Japan wants Japanese companies leading the combat drone development effort. That way, it's easier to maintain and modify equipment in the future while also bolstering the domestic defense industry. As to how many combat drones will be manufactured, it could be up to 100 initially so as to have one drone per F-2 fighter jet.
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