Japan’s Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Force have decided to establish a new department within the Ground Self-Defense Force. The new unit will advance the use of unmanned assets such as drones. Sources close to the government confirmed the decision on Sunday. The department should become operational by the end of April.
The decision reflects a desire to push for more unmanned or automated equipment. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the effectiveness of drone warfare. The U.S.-Israel war with Iran has reinforced this same conclusion. Japan wants to prepare for this unmanned warfare shift by learning from both conflicts.
The new GSDF department will have more than 10 but fewer than 20 staff members. It will consist of two separate units with different focuses. One unit will concentrate on drones and unmanned operations. The other unit will focus on artificial intelligence and automation tools. The department will research strategy formulation for future battles. It will also study necessary equipment systems for unmanned combat.
Currently, the majority of the SDF’s unmanned assets are airplanes rather than ground vehicles. The GSDF hopes to change this balance in the coming years. Future operations could involve unmanned vehicles fighting alongside manned tanks. Armored cars may also coordinate with drone swarms on the battlefield. This manned-unmanned teaming represents a significant change in doctrine. The unmanned warfare shift will require new training and tactics across the force.
Making equipment unmanned or labor-saving serves another important purpose. The SDF faces a serious shortage of new recruits across all branches. The sufficiency rate at the end of fiscal 2024 stood at 89.1 percent. This figure compares the real number of SDF personnel against its capacity of 247,154. Fewer soldiers can operate more systems if those systems use automation. Thus, the unmanned warfare shift helps address the personnel shortfall directly.
A senior ministry official stressed the importance of protecting SDF members. By trying to achieve the best possible combination of manned and unmanned equipment, we also seek to protect our precious personnel. The official made these remarks during an internal ministry briefing.
The ministry and the SDF are already expanding drone use across multiple fronts. They have started discussions on adopting long-range attack drones. These weapons could strike targets from safe distances. The new department will accelerate these ongoing efforts significantly. Japan plans to integrate unmanned systems into regular exercises. Budget requests for drone technology will likely increase in coming years. The unmanned warfare shift represents a long-term strategic transformation for Japan’s defense posture.
