According to a recent report on the website of the US weekly "Defense News", Japan's recent contracts with international suppliers for the purchase of unmanned vehicles show that the Self-Defense Forces are planning to increase investment in unmanned combat systems.
Japan's Defense Equipment Agency said that Japan is facing an aging population, which makes the number of people participating in the Self-Defense Forces very limited. "It is important to strengthen automation and save manpower by using unmanned equipment, including unmanned vehicles."
△ Screenshot of the report on the website of the US weekly "Defense News".
Recently, the German company Rheinmetall announced the sale of three "Mission Master" SP unmanned vehicles to the Japanese defense department.
△ "Mission Master" SP unmanned vehicle (picture from Rheinmetall)
Estonia-based Mirrem Robotics also said it had been awarded a contract to supply three THeMIS tracked unmanned vehicles for testing for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
△THeMIS tracked unmanned vehicle (picture from Millrem Robotics)
Wei Dongxu, editor-in-chief of the Global Military Report of China Central Radio and Television's Global Information Broadcasting, said that Japan's purchase of unmanned vehicles from the above two companies is to occupy a high starting point in the field of unmanned ground combat platforms.
Rheinmetall's "Mission Master" SP is a typical military 8-wheeled unmanned vehicle, which has been purchased in small quantities by both the US and British forces for testing and evaluation, and is said to have performed well in the exercises. The "Mission Master" SP unmanned vehicle can not only perform reconnaissance and transportation missions, but can also be equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station equipped with a heavy machine gun, or a 70mm guided rocket launcher, which can cover the infantry and provide infantry with close-range precision fire support.
The THeMIS tracked unmanned vehicle developed by Milrem Robotics is very suitable for transformation into a small unmanned infantry combat vehicle, and is also very popular with the armies of Western countries. The U.S. Army is more concerned about this kind of unmanned vehicle.
Japan's choice of these two unmanned vehicles as test subjects shows that the Self-Defense Forces are following the pace of the U.S. military to develop unmanned ground combat platforms, and hope to have a high starting point in this field through procurement, technology introduction or international cooperation.
Wei Dongxu believes that Japan's vigorous introduction of unmanned vehicles highlights the growing military ambitions of the Self-Defense Forces.
The first is to solve the problem of lack of troops. At present, the enthusiasm of young Japanese people to participate in the Self-Defense Forces is not high, and many Japanese people also believe that Japan's current defense policy is becoming more and more dangerous, and the military actions of the Self-Defense Forces are becoming more and more inclined to carry out military intervention in foreign countries. Since it is difficult to expand the scale of the Self-Defense Forces, the Japanese government and the Ministry of Defense hope to fill the gap in military strength to a certain extent by introducing unmanned vehicles.
Unmanned vehicles should be used by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to carry out offensive combat missions with a relatively high risk factor.
Material source丨Global Information Broadcasting "Live World"
Reporter丨Wei Dongxu
Editor丨Shan Lijuan, Yang Nan
Signing and review丨Li Yan Jiang Aimin