Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba updated his X account on May 20, 2026, and shared photos from his visit to a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries facility located in Aichi Prefecture.
During the visit, Defense Minister Ishiba, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, was briefed by executives from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on topics including the SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile (designed for interception) and the PAC-3 MSE (a surface-to-air missile produced under license).
Additionally, the defense minister listened to explanations about various drones being developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. He remarked: “We not only received detailed explanations regarding missiles, but also gained insight into Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ developments across multiple drone platforms. We are increasingly confident that Japan’s annual production capacity will exceed one million units.”
The photos released by Defense Minister Ishiba show the OZZ-5 underwater drone used for mine clearance; EMD, an autonomous munition designed for mine-clearance operations; and combat support drones capable of operating alongside manned fighter aircraft. Beyond these known systems, previously unconfirmed new drones have now been verified—such as so-called “attack drones” believed to be loitering munitions, and “low-cost, mass-produced drones.”
A Japanese media outlet interviewed military writer Yosuke Inaba, an expert in modern defense equipment, to discuss these drones. He speculated they may be linked to the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces’ multi-layered coastal defense concept known as “SHIELD.”
“SHIELD is a defensive concept utilizing unmanned systems to intercept enemy vessels and drones approaching Japan’s coastline. This approach draws inspiration from unmanned asset deployment and technological innovation observed overseas—particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to significant shifts in operational dynamics. Our plan involves constructing an asymmetric, multi-layered defense system by integrating large numbers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).”
Mr. Inaba noted that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is developing a command and control system for unmanned assets as part of its own product offerings tied to the SHIELD concept.
“Related to this concept, the Ministry of Defense plans to introduce a centralized command and control system capable of managing vast numbers of unmanned assets. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is currently developing a proprietary system named 'CoasTitan,' which may be directly associated with this initiative.”
This is a drone command and control system that enables a small number of operators to manage autonomous drones equipped with various sensors connected via network. In the newly released photos, the ‘CoasTitan’ logo appears scattered throughout the images. It seems the company is actively promoting its product directly to the minister to advance the SHIELD program.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865754471360524/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.