The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is prioritizing implementation of uncrewed surface vessels (USV), describing the technology as a game changer in intelligence gathering, surveillance and combat support.
Tokyo is seeking to boost its maritime observation capabilities in response to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) repeated incursions around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. In June 2024, the Japan Coast Guard reported that two Chinese vessels had entered Japanese waters for a record 64 hours over the course of a week. Officials said the Chinese vessels also surveyed a Japanese fishing boat operating near the uninhabited archipelago.
“What Japan would like to do is likely enhance their maritime domain awareness capabilities in the Sea of Japan, across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea,” Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at Japan’s International Christian University, told FORUM. “There’s a strong sense that there’s a need to develop mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare to deal with a possible blockade by the Chinese PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy.”
Tokyo’s 2024 defense white paper positions uncrewed assets as key to strengthening the nation’s defense capabilities. USVs are poised to become a mainstay of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, with the Defense Ministry saying the vessels can fundamentally change how the forces approaches potential combat.
Designed to be undetectable by radar, USVs can avoid enemy attacks and underwater mines while gathering intelligence. They can be fully autonomous or remotely controlled from an escort vessel or land base, eliminating the need for onboard personnel and enabling operation in harsh weather, while offering a more cost-effective alternative to crewed vessels.
Japan is collaborating with the United States Navy, which also is developing a so-called ghost fleet of USVs. The longtime allies are conducting joint USV drills to enhance fleet integration. Nagy said the U.S. Navy is crucial for technological innovation as Japan develops USVs, including in developing emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing “that can be used to advance autonomous vehicles’ endurance and sensory systems.”
Japan is collaborating with contractor JMU Defense Systems, which delivered a USV for testing on the JMSDF’s latest Mogami-class frigate in 2023. The frigate will serve as the mother ship for uncrewed underwater and mine disposal vessels. JMU Defense Systems began testing USVs in 2021.
Global competition in USV technology is set to transform regional security, Nagy said, with a focus on developing sophisticated, affordable and replaceable systems.
With more than $160 million budgeted for research and development in 2024, Japan is transitioning to combat-support USVs that can detect threats and gather intelligence with submarine navigation technology.
“We’re moving into an era where swarms of drones and unmanned vehicles will be the currency of how we engage in maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” Nagy said.
