Tenders for two research projects on unmanned technology are on offer by Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), with in-person bidding for approved candidates scheduled for early November 2024.
On 5 November bidding opened for a research tender relating to prospective equipment for unmanned aerial refueling – less than two months after the United States’ Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved the sale to Japan of up to nine additional KC-46A Aerial Refueling Aircraft.
Bids are open to companies that have “a proven track record of using computers to conduct and create an environment for war gaming studies.”
On the same day, ATLA began accepting tender bids for a technology trend survey on technology and underlying technology related to the automation of construction.
According to ATLA, the new tenders follow recommendations in the December 2022 Defence Buildup Program to reinforce unmanned defence capabilities and robustly promote automation, labor-saving in order to account for Japan ’s aging population with a declining birth rate and accomplish missions while minimising human loss.
They also follow on the heels of ATLA, along with the Ground Material Control Command (GMCC), offering a spate of procurement and research tenders for drones, drone defence systems and AI projects.
ATLA was formed in 2015 in response to the evolving needs of the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, as well as a longstanding reluctance among domestic research organisations to cooperate with the GMCC and other organs of the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) on defence projects. Its core role is to manage the procurement and development of cutting-edge military and dual-use technology through strengthening cooperationwith various R&D organisations within Japan and overseas.
In June 2023 ATLA formulated the Defense Industrial Security Manual (DISM) to promote the “internationalisation of defence industry” by strengthening “ndustrial security, based on the international standards for smooth international equipment cooperation.
While Japan’s defence technologically collaboration has traditionally focused on the United States, attention has recently shifted to other prospective partners, with Japanese officials on 20 October announcing an agreement with the United Kingdom and Italy to form a trilateral government organisation to accelerate the three nations’ joint development of a next-generation fighter jet.
Late last year Japan obtained observer status in the Airbus-led Eurodrone project, aimed at developing a drone for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. Japan’s participation has been described as“an important signal towards Europe industrially, politically and strategically, by the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, Michael Schoellhorn.
Bids for the two projects will be held at ATLA’s Bidding Room at the Ministry of Defence’s Building D in Shinjuku, with applications via the Japanese government’s centralised Procurement Portal (GEPS) open until 1 November. Bidding is restricted to Unified Supplier Qualification A, B and C ranked companies, with the latter tender open to D ranked companies.
Unified Supplier Qualification (USQ) is open to foreign as well as domestic companies, with rankings based on factors including business capital and earnings. Earlier in the year an ATLA spokesperson affirmed that Australian companies will be eligible to bid for ATLA contracts if the requisite documents are prepared and the application is approved.