Ukraine's interceptor drones help arm pacifist Japan
While Russia actively steals Japanese technology, Ukrainian drone companies are helping Japan to rearm itself.
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OUR LEAD STORY:
Deep inside the concrete jungle of the Ukrainian city, technology is developing that could defend not just Ukrainian plains, but also Japanese ocean cliffs.
Oleksii Oleksiuk, CEO of Ukrainian drone company UkrDefense, never thought that an advanced country such as Japan would be interested in his drone interceptors. The war in Ukraine, however, is pushing modern warfare into the next gear.
For centuries, Japan has relied on U.S. support and pacifist status as a cornerstone of its security. But that sense of stability is now shaken.
While many European countries expelled Russian spies after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Japan expelled only 8 Russian officials. Russia used that free access to bolster its intelligence presence in Tokyo, making it a spy ‘paradise’ for Moscow, the New York Times recently reported.
Apart from that, the United States, whose military power and presence have guaranteed Japan’s security since WWII, is proving to be an unreliable ally under Donald Trump. China has transformed itself into a powerhouse, systematically building up its military and receiving intelligence, training and modern technology from Russia, while increasingly viewing Japan as a foe. So now, Japan is turning to Ukraine — a country with one of the biggest areas of expertise in modern warfare — to help rearm itself.
According to The Telegraph, China has been quietly preparing for war, building replicas of Taiwanese military bases and American aircraft carriers. While there is no immediate threat for Japan, the government is preparing for an altercation with China for the disputed Senkaku Islands, in which Ukrainian unmanned technology might compensate for Japan’s lack of manpower, just like in the case of Ukraine.
This turn of events suggests that the post-WWII order is becoming more and more irrelevant, as even pacifist countries are now seeking ways to renew militarization.
After the paywall:
How and why Japan is investing in Ukrainian drone technology;
The story of Oleksii and his UkrDefense company;
Why Japan is vulnerable to foreign espionage.
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