Japan Aims To Produce 80,000 Drones A Year By 2030 As Startups Pivot To Defense

Japan is racing to build a large domestic drone industry as private startups and government programs pivot toward defense applications to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

Industry Pivot: Civilian To Military

A growing cluster of companies — including Eams Robotics and Terra Drone — has shifted from civilian services to mass-producing unmanned aerial systems for military use. A report from Nikkei Asia says Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing Tokyo to lessen reliance on Chinese manufacturers, which currently account for roughly 90% of the global industrial drone market. Tokyo views that concentration as a strategic vulnerability.

Startups Moving Fast

Eams Robotics, founded in 2016 as an aerial-photography service for broadcasters, moved into drone manufacturing in 2018. Headquartered in Minamisoma, the firm has developed autonomous flight technology in partnership with Sagawa Express, the University of Tokyo and NTT DoCoMo. In December 2025 Eams reportedly flew a fully autonomous drone across an active railway line without a ground observer, and is said to be exploring a partnership with U.S. defense firm Anduril.

Terra Drone, already more defense-focused, is preparing to mass-produce Japan-made batteries for defense and industrial customers. Batteries represent more than a quarter of a drone's cost, and Japan currently lacks a domestic supplier capable of meeting defense-grade specifications.

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Money, Targets And Capabilities

Tokyo has sharply increased funding for unmanned defense systems: this year's budget for those programs rose to ¥277 billion (about $1.72 billion), up from ¥111 billion (about $705 million) in 2025. Overall defense spending is also slated to rise to roughly 3.5% of GDP, a policy shift expected to direct further investment into unmanned platforms.

On June 9 the ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a plan aiming to produce roughly 80,000 drones per year by 2030, though financing and implementation details remain vague. The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), the defense ministry's procurement arm, has scheduled demonstrations to accelerate acquisition and deployment of interceptor drones positioned near radar sites and bases.

Threats, Missiles And Industrial Moves

Interceptor systems are intended to counter long-range loitering munitions such as the Shahed-136, which have been used in the Middle East and are reported to reach ranges of up to about 1,100 miles. The effort to scale domestic production has also been tied to concerns that Tomahawk missile shipments to Japan could face delays after a prolonged U.S. campaign in the Middle East stretched American stockpiles — a claim denied by officials in Washington and Tokyo, even as Japan continues domestic missile development.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Anduril has discussed converting Nissan's Oppama plant into a drone production facility amid concerns about a potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait. This push fits into Japan's broader five-year military buildup, due to conclude in 2027, which also includes investments in missile networks and unmanned ground and maritime systems.

Outlook: Industry leaders such as Terra Drone CEO Toru Tokushige say defense ministry interest is "very much positive," citing lessons from Ukraine. Still, analysts caution that translating industrial ambition into proven, combat-ready capabilities against long-range drone threats will be challenging and uncertain.