Japan has expanded its maritime defense posture by introducing a new unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) into the JMSDF’s growing fleet of undersea assets. The service publicized the development on social media, revealing at least six domestically built UUVs displayed at an undisclosed site.
While the specific variant has not been disclosed, the vehicle is reported to feature a 533mm diameter, similar to heavyweight torpedoes, and to employ a torpedo-tube launch system, enabling submarine-based deployment and recovery operations.
Intended for roles such as underwater surveillance, maritime security, and subsea domain awareness, the UUV reflects Japan’s strategy of embedding unmanned platforms into its broader naval architecture. According to JMSDF, the force is “steadily strengthening its defense capabilities, including unmanned systems, to improve deterrence and response capacity.”
Development began in 2019, when the Ministry of Defense and ATLA initiated two parallel UUV programs. One design (Type-1) was developed by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, while the second (Type-2) was led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The first production orders for these systems were placed in 2021.
