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On the 2nd at the Ojoihara training ground in Miyagi Prefecture, during the annual joint exercise 'Brune Takamori' between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the French Army, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces unveiled the mini attack drone 'Drone 40' for the first time. This drone, about the size of a flashlight, was difficult to identify in the sky, and two drones operated in tandem to conduct reconnaissance on enemy forces and demonstrate self-destruct attacks.
The Drone 40 is the first attack drone introduced by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, which can be controlled by a single member using a smartphone, enabling quick identification and response to enemy vehicles. Until now, the Self-Defense Forces only possessed reconnaissance drones, but they have recently begun to introduce attack and interception drones, accelerating efforts to enhance their drone capabilities.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to allocate trillions of yen for drone procurement this year and next, with plans to introduce additional drones capable of mid- to long-range attacks. Additionally, they are set to invest about 400 billion yen to acquire 23 units of the U.S.-made MQ-9B Guardian. This is a measure to respond to China's expanding military activities, as Japan aims to integrate various unmanned assets to establish a coastal defense system.