Japan Small Attack UAV Type I
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's first attack drone, for striking vehicles and troops at close range.
Japan's fiscal 2027 request, published on 31 August 2026, seeks 36.3 billion yen for three small attack drone types, among them the Type I, whose mass-production contract was signed in March.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026
Timeline for Japan Small Attack UAV Type I
Mentioned in: Japan requests 17 MQ-9B drones for 2027
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
The Small Attack UAV Type I is the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's first attack drone, built to strike vehicles and troops at close range. Japan's Ministry of Defense is buying it from domestic sources to grow its own drone makers.
The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency awarded the mass-production contract, worth 3.68 billion yen, to Marubeni Aerospace on 26 March 2026, according to Australian Defence Magazine. The ministry announced the selection on 12 May 2026 without naming the model; the Ground Self-Defense Force chief of staff had earlier named DefendTex's Drone40.
Type I is one of three small attack drone types in SHIELD, Japan's planned coastal defence built from unmanned systems. Its fiscal 2027 funding comes in a single line covering Types I, II and III together.