The Japanese government is planning a large-scale deployment of unmanned drones for its defense forces. The initiative targets modernizing the country's defense capabilities, enhancing security, and keeping pace with technological advancements in military equipment. The specific number of drones to be deployed, their different types, and the location of deployment remain undisclosed, as they usually do due to security reasons. The timeline of the project is not explicit either.

This move brings Japan firmly into the future of modern warfare, a topic often controversial in a country whose post-war constitution allows for a Self-Defense Force but explicitly forbids it from maintaining air, sea, or land forces for the purpose of waging war. The public sentiment surrounding such moves is generally divided, with some considering it necessary for national security, while others are concerned about potential conflicts with Japan's pacifist principles.

The US and EU members like the United Kingdom and France have been using unmanned aerial vehicles or drones for many years now, for both reconnaissance and combat missions. Like Japan, though, every deployment raises new questions about the balance between security interests, technological advancement, and ethical considerations.