Airbus and Kawasaki to study Japanese maritime Eurodrone variant with anti-submarine warfare capability

Airbus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries will analyze opportunities to develop a Japanese configuration of the Eurodrone focused on anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. Under the memorandum, Airbus and Kawasaki plan to discuss design and development options, including how Japanese sensors and weapons (effectors) could be integrated, along with workshare for Japanese industry during production and sustainment.

Airbus says the Eurodrone is well suited to monitoring large maritime areas and can be equipped with mission payloads such as sonobuoys and torpedoes to support anti-submarine warfare. It also notes that Japan has held observer status in the Eurodrone programme since 2023, and that developing a Japan-specific variant would be intended to allow Japan to operate the system sovereignly, without restrictions, if it decides to acquire it.

The companies add that insights gained from a Japanese variant could also support future European naval Eurodrone configurations. The Eurodrone programme is led by Germany, France, Italy, and Spain under OCCAR, with an anticipated first flight in 2029