Japan's Remote Weapons System Development

The Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) and its Technology Research and Development Institute unveiled the demonstration model of its Remote Weapons System (RWS) at the annual Defense Technology Symposium in late October. Jointly developed by Japan Steel Works, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and Howa Machinery, the RWS will be mounted on various Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) vehicles in the not-too-distant future. 

To date, none of the vehicles in the JGSDF’s current inventory are mounted with RWS, exposing machine gunners to enemy fire in amphibious, urban and Peace Keeping Operations. Yet despite some progress, the vehicles that will be armed with the indigenous RWS currently seem to be limited to the Four-Wheeled Light Armored Vehicle (LAV). Nevertheless, MOD sources claim that in the future, Japan’s RWS will be mountable on various JGSDF vehicles, though the details on those specific vehicles, were not announced.

For the JGSDF, the RWS would be an essential component to further align and develop its capabilities to Japan’s operational conditions, almost all the vehicles that could be mounted with the RWS are transportable by the Landing Craft Air Cushions, and some by the CH-47J/JA or the upcoming C-2 transport aircraft. The ability to airlift or sealift these RWS-armed vehicles into theatres would epitomize progress in the JGSDF’s readiness capabilities for combat.

The technological hurdles to install the RWS on heavy-duty vehicles are not high, given that their stability and weight allows greater capacity to withstand shock than smaller vehicles such as the LAV. While further technological adjustments and tests are required, Japan’s indigenous RWS has a future, considering its advanced automation and robotics technology. Yet a number of issues warrant attention.

The biggest constraint is the cost. The research and development of an indigenous RWS began in 2008, with the 2009 Fiscal Year Budget Request indicating 1.2 billion Yen for the project. Costs were minimized due to the use of existing, and even civilian technologies. The tight budget therefore, would be the challenge in producing and installing variants of the RWS for the JGSDF’s other vehicles.

Further, Japan’s RWS technology is off on a slow start. The United States and Israel takes a far lead in this field, and even in Asia-Pacific, China and the Republic of Korea have already produced their own RWS systems. For JSDF, it will still be several years until the RWS is fully operational, and even more before the export variants are available.

There are also questions regarding the actual capabilities of RWS itself. While RWS protects weapons operators from enemy attack and allow focus on intense firing, the automated features sometimes limit responsive vision. Indeed, some visualization issues would be overcome by the advanced computer technology equipped with the RWS, yet just how far Japan can advance in this area remain unanswered.

Despite the challenges and unknown availability date, the indigenous RWS would be another milestone for Japan’s defense capabilities and technology. Next week, Japan is expected to release its new National Defense Program Guidelines, centered on the concepts of greater integration, mobility, and readiness, which will open a new chapter in the JGSDF’s capability and readiness development.

Once operational, the RWS will strengthen the light-armored vehicles and lessen the reliance on heavy-armored vehicles that may not be applicable to operations requiring greater maneuverability, lift, and response. This would further compliment the JGSDF’s capabilities and readiness for combat in various terrains and theaters, including offshore islands, mountains, and urban areas of Japan.

The improvements in Japan’s force structure capabilities have been incremental, largely due to the domestic-oriented research and development of defense technology. Yet the recent developments in Japan’s defense hardware is evidently in sync with the policy developments, proving steady progress in the Japan’s capabilities for national defense.

Dr. Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Pacific Forum CSIS, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang, and a Sergeant First Class in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force reserve. The views expressed in this article are entirely the author’s own.