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The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is acquiring Shield AI's V-BAT small unmanned aircraft systems to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. (Shield AI)
US-based Shield AI has secured a contract to supply an undisclosed number of its V-BAT small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Shield AI announced the contract in a media release on 22 January. The company said, “[The V-BATs] will provide advanced ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] capabilities to JMSDF surface vessels, reinforcing Japan's defence posture and operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The Japan Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 27 December 2024 that it will procure V-BATs to meet the growing ISR requirements of the JMSDF. The V-BATs will primarily be deployed on the JMSDF's “patrol vessels” and operated to monitor and gather intelligence of the surrounding areas to enhance the service's maritime domain awareness (MDA), the MoD said.
Japan's defence budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2025 allocates JPY3.7 billion (USD23.7 million) to acquire sUASs for the JMSDF.
“At this moment, we cannot mention the total number of ship-based small-sized UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] procured as the future acquisition plan is being discussed,” a spokesperson for the MoD told Janes on 27 January.
“While we are not sharing the specific number of aircraft, this milestone agreement marks the beginning of a planned multi-year effort to buy and field an increasing number of V-BATs to support JMSDF operations,” a Shield AI spokesperson told Janes on 23 January.
The MoD spokesperson said that the V-BATs ordered under the FY 2025 budget are expected to be delivered in FY 2026.
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