일, 자위대에 ‘자국산 AI 지휘체계' 추진…미국산에서 급선회

Japan's government is intensifying efforts to equip its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) with a domestic artificial intelligence (AI) based command and control system. According to multiple Japanese government sources cited by the Yomiuri Shimbun, the SDF has commenced reviewing the adoption of a domestically produced AI command and control system.

The review was prompted by the increasing deployment of advanced technology in recent wars, with the aim of addressing the upcoming "new style of warfare." The AI-driven command and control system has already been tested during the US-Israel-Iran war last February, where the US military conducted over 1,000 attacks on targets across Iran in 24 hours.

This compares to the nearly 2,000 targets struck in the Islamic State's first six months of operation in 2014, which lacked an AI command and control system. The US Department of Defense incorporated an AI command and control system called "Mayhem Smart System" by Palantir Technologies in 2024. AI collects vast amounts of military data from satellites, the internet, and the battlefield, analyzing it to formulate operational plans.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have not yet incorporated AI command and control into their operations. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has emphasized the need for Japan to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities through its own judgment since taking office last year. The current plan is to entrust the development of AI command and control systems to domestic companies.

Palantir's "Mayhem Smart System" was recently considered for review, but Japan's government has shifted its stance to develop domestic companies instead, due to national security concerns. A newly emerging AI startup called "Sakana AI" is developing a potential candidate called "Sakana Hougou." The company recently published some of the technical details of "Sakana Hougou" in a press release, stating that it will only employ Japanese nationals in the development team.

This aligns with Japan's "AI sovereignty" policy, which aims to manage AI-related data and systems autonomously within the country. The government plans to include the adoption of AI command and control systems in the upcoming "security three documents" (National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Defense Capacity Consolidation Plan) set to be revised this year.