Japan mulls 52,000 unmanned systems target in 5-yr defense buildup: sources

TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry is mulling setting a target of acquiring some 52,000 unmanned systems, such as drones for long-range attacks and intelligence gathering, over five years from fiscal 2027, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

The plan is part of a preliminary draft of the Defense Buildup Program, one of three key security documents that the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to revise by the end of the year.