Rakuten Group has announced plans to enter the military industry by introducing attack drones for the Self-Defense Forces. The report covers its partnership with Helsing, plans for field trials, and reactions in Japan and abroad.
Rakuten Group has announced plans to partner with Helsing, a German developer of military drones, to support the delivery of the company’s unmanned aircraft to the Ministry of Defense. This marks a major move by the company, which has focused primarily on e-commerce and telecommunications, to make a full-scale entry into the military procurement sector.
Rakuten will serve as Helsing’s point of contact in Japan and act as an intermediary with government agencies, helping the company overcome barriers to entering the defense sector. A field trial to determine whether the system will be introduced by the Ground Self-Defense Force is scheduled to take place by the end of September, and domestic mass production in Japan is also being considered as a future possibility.
The Chinese Communist Party-affiliated newspaper Global Times reported on the partnership and introduced Catalog House’s suspension of store openings. While support for the move has emerged in succession on Japanese social media, reports have also cited opinions expressing opposition.
Researcher Wu Yingjie (呉英傑), an expert, pointed out that the Japanese government has sharply increased its defense budget and encouraged private-sector technology companies to participate in defense projects. Wu analyzed this as opening the way for non-defense companies to enter the sector, with many Japanese companies participating in pursuit of profits. The view was also expressed that rising regional tensions and an arms race pose risks both within Japan and internationally.