Photo: atlasinstitute.org
In an interview with the Financial Times, he stated that the production of unmanned aerial vehicles requires a different organizational structure than the mass production of automobiles.
“The technical specifications of products in this sector are constantly changing depending on the situation. Car factories, on the other hand, are designed to produce tens of thousands or millions of identical units,” said the head of MHI.
According to him, shifting UAV production to automobile plants carries the risk of producing equipment that will quickly become obsolete due to rapid technological advancements and changing military requirements. “If we go down this path, it will be a huge waste of taxpayers’ money,” Ito emphasized.
The statement came amid the active expansion of Japan’s drone procurement program. As previously reported by the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the budget for UAV procurement in the current fiscal year was nearly doubled—to 250 billion yen (about $1.7 billion). According to the Financial Times, this has sparked increased interest in the Japanese market from foreign drone manufacturers and local tech startups.
The publication also notes that European automakers are increasingly considering participation in defense projects amid rising military spending in Europe. In particular, France’s Renault announced a collaboration with defense companies Turgis & Gaillard and Thales on drone-related projects. According to the FT, Germany’s Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are also discussing potential defense partnerships.
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