US, Japan Commit to Joint Research on AI-Powered Drone Control Technology

Japan and the United States have agreed to research a capability combining drones with artificial intelligence and machine learning, building on a December 2022 joint statement to cooperate on future aircraft.

The “Overwhelming Response through Collaborative Autonomy” project is intended to create an AI that can be applied to unmanned aerial vehicles flown alongside new Japanese fighter planes, the U.S. Air Force said Friday.

The two sides also committed to continue expanding bilateral cooperation on UAV development. According to a press release, such efforts will benefit the Japan-U.S. alliance‘s interoperability and technological advantages.

The news follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries to research emerging technologies, including autonomous systems.

In August, Japan and the U.S. agreed to develop a counter-hypersonic capability that intercepts missiles in the glide phase. They have also sought to cooperate on boosting commercial software security through new standards and a vulnerability assessment system.