Japanese Anti-Submarine Eurodrone Variant Under Review

Airbus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to explore opportunities for a Japanese anti-submarine warfare variant of the U950 Eurodrone.

The agreement will see Airbus, in cooperation with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, review options for the design, development, and commercialization of a future Japanese maritime version of Europe’s first Large Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).

Japan has held observer status in the Eurodrone program since 2023, and the collaboration is intended to support sovereign, unrestricted operation of the platform should the country decide to acquire it. Future discussions will focus on possible configurations, the integration of Japanese sensors and effectors, and potential workshare for Japanese industry during production and sustainment.

Designed for extensive maritime monitoring, the uncrewed platform offers long flight endurance and significant payload capacity, enabling it to carry mission equipment including sonobuoys and torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare. For Japan, the platform could complement its current crewed anti-submarine warfare fleet and support wider maritime security requirements.

The collaboration is also expected to support European-Japanese defense initiatives while providing operational and logistical insights for future European naval variants of the Eurodrone.

The Eurodrone is a four-nation program involving Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, led by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), with India also holding observer status. Scheduled to take its first flight in 2029, the aircraft is designed for missions including intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, early warning, signals intelligence, maritime patrol, and anti-submarine warfare. It has a mission payload capacity of up to 2.3 tonnes, can remain airborne for up to 40 hours, and is intended to be fully integrated into civil airspace.