Airbus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Sign MoU to Explore ASW Variant of Eurodrone for Japan

Airbus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Sign MoU to Explore ASW Variant of Eurodrone for Japan

Airbus has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) to jointly evaluate opportunities for developing a Japan-specific anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of the U950 Eurodrone. The Eurodrone is Europe's first Large Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), and Japan has participated in the programme as an observer nation since 2023.

Eurodrone Well-Suited to Japan's Maritime Surveillance Requirements

Airbus stated that the Eurodrone is highly suited to nations like Japan that need to monitor vast maritime areas. Compared to its nearest competitors, the Eurodrone offers significantly longer endurance and the ability to carry a greater mission payload, including sonobuoys and torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare operations. By introducing the Eurodrone, Japan would be able to complement its existing manned ASW fleet with an efficient unmanned platform, enhancing its maritime security capabilities in a sovereign and sustainable manner.

Next Steps in the Collaboration

In the next phase, Airbus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries will enter into detailed discussions to define concrete plans for the design, development, and commercialization of a future Japanese maritime variant of the Eurodrone. This includes defining potential configurations, integrating Japanese domestic sensors and effectors, and identifying potential work-share opportunities for Japanese industry in production and maintenance phases. The partnership aims to ensure that, should Japan decide to procure the RPAS, it would be able to operate the Eurodrone independently, in a sovereign manner and without restriction.

This targeted collaboration with Japan is expected to strengthen the Eurodrone programme itself while deepening the strategic defence cooperation framework between Europe and Japan. Furthermore, insights gained during the development of the Japan-specific variant are anticipated to deliver significant operational and logistical benefits for a future European naval variant of the Eurodrone.

Eurodrone: Long Endurance and Broad Mission Capability

The Eurodrone is a four-nation programme driven by Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). Currently in the development phase, it is scheduled to conduct its first flight in 2029. India also participates in the programme as an observer nation.

The Eurodrone is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR), early warning, signals intelligence, maritime patrol, and anti-submarine warfare. Its mission payload capacity (excluding fuel) reaches up to 2.3 metric tonnes, and it can sustain flight for up to 40 hours. The platform will be fully integrated into civilian airspace and, thanks to its high safety standards and redundancy design, is optimally suited for operations over open ocean environments.

This article was originally published by Naval News.

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