Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and NEC have signed a memorandum of strategic partnership in the defense sector. Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on unmanned systems, operational planning, and command-and-control technologies.

The partnership aims to strengthen Japan’s domestic defense industry and protect the country’s technological sovereignty, particularly in the fields of data and artificial intelligence. The cooperation comes as unmanned systems and AI are becoming increasingly important in modern military operations.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and NEC also plan to contribute to the development of new management and control systems as defense equipment becomes more closely integrated with cloud technologies. By combining their expertise and technological capabilities, the companies hope to create highly reliable products and services that can improve and modernize Japan’s defense capabilities.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries President Eisaku Ito said that the partnership could become the foundation for building a sovereign and reliable defense system that combines the technologies and expertise of both companies. NEC CEO Takayuki Morita described the agreement as an important step toward developing a defense system based on Japanese technology and knowledge.

One interesting aspect of the partnership is the growing role of AI-powered unmanned systems. In the future, drones and other autonomous platforms could collect information, identify potential threats, and share data with command centers much faster than traditional systems. This means that the ability to process and securely exchange information may become just as important as the physical capabilities of military equipment.

The partnership also reflects a broader global trend: countries are increasingly trying to develop their own AI and defense technologies instead of relying heavily on foreign suppliers. For Japan, this could become an important step toward maintaining greater independence in an increasingly digital and automated security environment.