Japan Acquires Ukrainian Drone Firm to Gain Combat Data

As reported by Japanese media outlet Business IT on June 16: Japan's industrial drone company Terra Drone announced on the 15th that it has acquired two Ukrainian military drone firms, merging them into a subsidiary.

The acquisition includes Winny Labs, a Ukrainian anti-drone drone company, and Amazing Drones. This move will accelerate Japan’s utilization of combat data management systems developed by Ukrainian companies, speeding up global market expansion.

Terra Drone acquired 50% of the issued shares of Winny Labs and Amazing Drones through its Dutch subsidiary Teradrone, and also exchanged several board directors. The acquisition amount has not been disclosed.

Both acquired companies are dedicated to developing interceptor drones capable of shooting down enemy drones in the air, and both have successfully intercepted Iranian suicide drones (such as Shahed) during actual combat operations in Ukraine.

After the acquisition, Japanese companies will further advance the development of Winny Labs’ fixed-wing interceptor drone “Terra A2,” designed for long-range operations. Meanwhile, Amazing Drones will produce the rocket-type interceptor drone “Terra A1,” which excels in rapid close-range response.

Terra Drone aims to integrate the airframe technologies from both companies to build a multi-layered air defense system capable of countering both short- and long-range threats.

Additionally, on the 15th, Terra Drone revealed it has begun preparations to establish a joint venture with Besommar, a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone manufacturer, aimed at providing reconnaissance drones named “Terra C1.”

Terra Drone announced its entry into the weapons equipment market in March 2026 and became the first Japanese drone company to declare investment in Ukraine’s defense-related sector in April of the same year.

Currently, high-value missiles worth hundreds of millions of yen are being used to intercept low-cost suicide drones. In the context of tight defense budgets and the looming crisis of missile depletion, transitioning toward low-cost, mass-producible interceptor drones priced in the tens of thousands of yen has become an urgent priority across global defense markets.

Terra Drone CEO Tetsu Nishijyo told media: "Many Gulf countries and European nations near Russia show strong interest in interceptor drones. By acquiring equity stakes, we aim to accelerate decision-making and solidify our transition from technology development to mass production."

Meanwhile, Terra Drone has established a new company named “European Land Defense” in Estonia, serving as its core base for entering the European defense market. It will deploy, maintain, and manage logistics for drones and related systems developed in collaboration with Ukrainian firms—systems primarily targeting the European market.

In Japan, the company has received orders from the Defense Equipment Agency to produce domestically made modular general-purpose drones, integrating battlefield data with its own infrastructure to expand domestic and international defense industry operations.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868121250811914/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.