MANILA, Philippines — Japan’s defense-procurement agency has signed a mass production procurement agreement for interceptor drones made using 3D printers, the latest move to rapidly deploy a large unmanned fleet by 2027.
The Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency selected Terra B1, a rocket-launched interceptor drone, after a demonstration with the Maritime Self-Defense Forces last month.
Terra B1 is developed by domestic industrial giant Terra Drone and serves as the Japan-made counterpart to Terra A1, which had been fielded on Ukraine’s battlefields earlier this year.
ATLA neither disclosed the number of units on order nor the contract price.
In late May, the defense ministry released a tender to rapidly acquire and deploy drones that can intercept one-way attack drones such as the Shahed and anti-radar loitering munitions such as the IAI Harpy.
The latest decision is the fastest to date, industry insiders say, as the tender took only three months compared to previous bids which took one to two years.
The decision also reflects the government’s growing efforts to increase 3D printing capabilities to support defense needs.
Using 3D printers will “simplify and shorten” the design and prototyping stage, CEO Toru Tokushige told Defense News. It will also allow Terra B1 to move into mass production as quickly as possible and meet contract requirements.
Aside from lowering costs and accelerating production, 3D printing will allow the company ample time to modify the interceptors to adapt to evolving threats and the fast-changing drone tech landscape without delaying the deployment schedule.
Terra Drone also plans to spread out production across multiple locations, and later expand to local printing farms, as a precautionary measure to ensure manufacturing can continue even if one facility comes under attack.
“Even if one production site were attacked by a system such as a Shahed-type drone, this distributed model could significantly reduce the risk of the entire supply chain being disrupted,” Tokushige said.
3D printing has been changing military and defense logistics since the U.S. Army and Navy deployed printers in the field in 2012. In Ukraine, printing farms have become a frontline
necessity: They produce drone parts and a range of tools to support brigades in the ongoing war.
The defense ministry’s decision to adopt the technology signals a massive shift in the defense industry, which experts warn may be unable to keep pace with the current administration’s export drive and increasing global demands.
“We believe 3D printing is not simply about reducing manufacturing costs. It has the potential to transform Japan’s defense manufacturing into a faster, more flexible and more resilient production model,” Tokushige said.
Leilani Chavez is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. Her reporting expertise is in East Asian politics, development projects, environmental issues and security.
Facts Only
* Japan’s defense-procurement agency signed a mass production procurement agreement for interceptor drones using 3D printers.
* The goal is to rapidly deploy a large unmanned fleet by 2027.
* The Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency selected the Terra B1 interceptor drone.
* Terra B1 is developed by Terra Drone and is the Japan-made counterpart to the Terra A1.
* A tender was released in late May to acquire drones for intercepting one-way attack drones (e.g., Shahed) and anti-radar loitering munitions (e.g., IAI Harpy).
* The decision process took three months, faster than previous bids which took one to two years.
* 3D printing is expected to simplify design and prototyping, shorten production time, and allow for rapid modifications to adapt to threats.
* Terra Drone plans to spread production across multiple locations, with future expansion to local printing farms for resilience.
* 3D printing has been used in field deployments by the U.S. Army and Navy since 2012.
Executive Summary
Japan’s defense-procurement agency signed an agreement for the mass production of interceptor drones utilizing 3D printing to deploy a large unmanned fleet by 2027. The Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency selected the Terra B1 rocket-launched interceptor drone, developed by Terra Drone, following a demonstration with the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. This drone is the Japan-made counterpart to the Terra A1 fielded in Ukraine.
The decision was made following a tender released in late May for rapidly acquiring drones capable of intercepting one-way attack drones like Shahed and anti-radar loitering munitions like the IAI Harpy. Industry insiders suggest this procurement process was the fastest on record, taking only three months compared to previous bids. The adoption of 3D printing is intended to simplify design and prototyping, accelerate mass production, and allow for rapid modification of interceptors against evolving threats.
Furthermore, Terra Drone plans a distributed manufacturing model across multiple locations, including future local printing farms, to mitigate supply chain risks from potential attacks. Experts note that this shift signifies a move toward a more flexible and resilient defense manufacturing model, though they caution that the industry may struggle to keep pace with global export demands driven by this technology adoption.
Full Take
The narrative positions additive manufacturing not merely as a cost-saving tool but as a strategic shift toward systemic resilience within defense logistics. The core implication is that flexibility, achieved through distributed, digitized production methods, can overcome traditional bureaucratic and logistical constraints in defense procurement. This mirrors the evolution seen in Ukraine, where 3D printing became an essential frontline necessity, suggesting a global migration toward decentralized manufacturing capabilities under duress.
The tension lies between the stated potential for increased flexibility and the acknowledged difficulty in scaling this change amidst existing global demands. If military industrial complexes adopt this model rapidly, it challenges established power structures regarding control over the supply chain and technological dissemination. The dispersed production plan explicitly addresses systemic risk—the threat of single points of failure—suggesting an awareness that current centralized models are inherently fragile against modern asymmetric threats.
The pattern suggests a response to perceived existential pressure: where traditional linear processes are too slow, a disruptive, fractal approach is adopted. The question shifts from "Can 3D printing make things faster?" to "What new forms of governance and security must emerge to manage decentralized technological proliferation in defense?" What forces will govern the next phase of this transformation beyond mere cost reduction?