Japan plans research into AI-equipped military transport ships
Plans to reduce manpower needs and protect personnel in dangerous areas form part of preparations for emergencies involving Japan’s remote islands.
Japan’s Ministry of Defence is planning expanded research and development to reduce the manpower needed for military sea transport and strengthen its capacity to respond to contingencies, informed sources said.
The work would support the introduction of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) transport vessels equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and automated navigation.
Moving troops and equipment to islands is a key challenge for the SDF, and the ministry wants a dependable maritime transport system that functions effectively in peacetime and during emergencies.
An enemy attack would also require the rapid evacuation of remote island residents, alongside deliveries of food and other goods.
Preparations are focused on a possible emergency in the southwestern Nansei region, which has numerous remote islands.
According to the sources, the ministry intends to promote operations requiring fewer personnel, as well as unmanned operations, on SDF transport ships to maintain smooth deliveries and reduce risks to service members in unsafe areas.
A joint unit of the Air, Ground and Maritime Self-Defense Forces, the SDF Maritime Transport Group was established in 2025 to bolster defence in Nansei amid increasing Chinese military activity at sea.
For the ministry, adopting advanced technology in transport and logistics is also a necessary response to “new ways of warfare” involving AI and drones.
Both technologies have seen extensive use in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Japan’s declining population has contributed to labour shortages, and automated navigation is expected to help ships operate with smaller crews.
These systems draw on satellites and various sensors to assess weather conditions and wave heights when selecting suitable routes.
Trials of unmanned ship navigation have already taken place in the private sector.
The ministry’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes funding for research and surveys on self-navigating ships, without specifying an amount.
That financial year begins in April 2027.
The sources said the initiative is also due to be incorporated into the government’s three key security-related documents, which are scheduled for revision by the end of 2026.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
