Rakuten Group has announced plans to partner with German company Helsing to support the deployment in Japan of AI-powered attack drones. It will conduct demonstration tests through the end of next month and then consider mass production in Japan.
Rakuten Group has disclosed plans to partner with German company Helsing to support the deployment in Japan of AI-powered attack drones. The initiative is also backed by cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, and a proposal is expected to be made for their deployment by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
Helsing, the partner company, is a German startup engaged in the development and manufacture of AI-powered attack drones, and has already supplied them to Ukraine and elsewhere.
Rakuten Group plans to conduct demonstration tests through the end of next month and then consider mass production in Japan. It envisages their deployment by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, with Rakuten Group serving as the point of contact with the Ministry of Defense.
Related developments surrounding the development and mass production of attack drones are attracting attention as a new phase in Japan's defense policy and corporate partnerships.