A Russian unmanned aerial vehicle during the night phase of the Ladoga 2009 military exercises at the Kamenka training ground in the Leningrad Region. File photoTOKYO, June 3Japan will start developing drones that can support the next generation of fighter jets, the development will be carried out jointly with the United States as part of technical cooperation in the defense sector, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported. Drones they will collect information about enemy aircraft, exchange it with each other and with a manned fighter, and if equipped with missiles, they will be able to fire to kill. >Japan and the United States held joint exercisesBy 2025, a test version will be developed, and from 2026, Japan will begin to create the main version. By 2035, the equipping of the army will begin. The use of drones in combination with manned fighters will make it possible to achieve an advantage in the air. According to the publication, military operations in Ukraine have shown the effectiveness and role of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles will be able to take over the flight into dangerous areas, as well as significantly expand surveillance capabilities. If one manned aircraft costs about 1 billion yen (about $ 80 million), then the creation of drones can significantly reduce costs. According to the plans of the Japanese government, by 2035 it will equip the self-defense forces with a new generation of fighters that will replace the current F2. About 100 such aircraft are planned to be produced.
