The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on its front page that the Japanese government will begin supporting the domestic production of "drones (unmanned aircraft)" designated as specific important materials under the Economic Security Promotion Act. While domestic use is expected to expand, most of them currently rely on overseas products such as those from China. To ensure stable domestic supply, the government will subsidize up to 50% of the costs for R&D and equipment investment, and establish a production system for 80,000 units by 2030.

The support target is expected to include drones used for disaster prevention and mitigation, such as firefighting, as well as drones used for infrastructure inspection, such as bridges and roads, and agricultural applications such as pesticide spraying. The policy includes not only the drones themselves but also production facilities for major components such as motors and batteries.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to start public recruitment within this fiscal year, review and certify the production plans of applicants. Proposals to enhance price competitiveness through commonization of parts will also be considered as support targets to strengthen the domestic supply chain.

In the supplementary budget for the 2025 fiscal year, 1.39 billion yen has been allocated for subsidies over the next three years. A fund is planned to be established in 2026 to improve the support system.

Currently, there is no real mass production base for drones in Japan, with most production being in small batches, and more than 90% of the supply is dominated by Chinese manufacturers (according to industry sources). A survey conducted by the Japan Industrial Drone Association among its 73 member companies shows that the domestic production volume in 2024 was approximately 1,000 units per year.

According to the Aviation Act, the number of registered drones weighing 100 grams or more reached 447,000 as of March 2025, doubling since the registration system began in June 2022 (213,000 units), and the usage is expected to continue expanding in the future.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853667597775884/

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