日经报道：日本第六大造船厂尾道造船拟量产美初创 Bulwark Dynamics 的无人水面艇，目标2028年年产30–50艘，争取自卫队与美军订单

TOKYO -- Japan's Onomichi Dockyard will begin constructing uncrewed surface vessels and hopes to supply them to the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, part of a push by midsize commercial shipbuilders into dual-use technologies with both civilian and military applications.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has designated shipbuilding and the defense industry as among 17 strategic fields targeted for priority investment. Uncrewed surface vessels sit at the intersection of both.
Leveraging expertise developed through the construction of tankers and other commercial vessels, Onomichi Dockyard aims to establish a production system capable of building 30 to 50 uncrewed craft a year by 2028.
The Kobe-based company plans to mass-produce uncrewed surface vessels developed by Bulwark Dynamics, an American startup in which it has invested, at facilities in Japan. Bulwark recently raised a total of $6.8 million, including funding from Onomichi Dockyard and U.S. investment firms, to accelerate development.
Bulwark is developing 17-, 35- and 55-foot autonomous transport vessels. They are designed to deliver military supplies and aid during disasters, carrying containers loaded with such supplies as water, food, fuel, medical equipment and ammunition.
Bulwark says the vessels, which are intended for resupply missions to beaches and other locations without port infrastructure, can operate in water as shallow as 20 centimeters. Equipped with advanced sensors and artificial-intelligence-based control systems, they can navigate to their destinations without relying on GPS.
Interest in combat-support uncrewed surface vessels has grown rapidly. A vessel built by U.S. startup Saronic Technologies was deployed during American strikes on Iran. The company has announced plans to establish a new shipyard in the U.S.
In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and others are developing similar technologies, but transport-focused uncrewed vessels remain relatively rare.
Bulwark aims to secure procurement contracts from both the SDF and the U.S. military. Under current U.S. regulations favoring domestic shipbuilding and restricting the overseas construction of military vessels, ships built outside the country generally cannot be supplied to American forces.
But President Donald Trump's administration has shown signs of moving to ease some of these restrictions amid a push to bolster naval capabilities, which could eventually open the door for Japanese-built uncrewed vessels to be supplied to the U.S. military.
Construction of vessels for Japan's Ministry of Defense has traditionally been dominated by such major heavy-industry companies as Mitsubishi Heavy. Building such ships typically requires advanced technologies beyond shipbuilding itself, including weapons control systems.
Onomichi Dockyard, Japan's sixth-largest shipbuilder by output, is known for bulk carriers and tankers and has so far focused exclusively on commercial vessels. But in terms of the ease of entering the defense sector, the hurdles are relatively low for transport-oriented uncrewed surface vessels.
Russia's war in Ukraine has accelerated the global spread of drone-based warfare. In revisions expected later this year to Japan's three key national security documents, the government plans to expand the use of uncrewed systems for reconnaissance, combat and logistics missions. The move is also intended to help offset chronic personnel shortages.
The Defense Ministry plans to implement an initiative in fiscal 2027 to strengthen coastal defense through coordinated use of multiple types of drones, including aerial, surface and underwater systems.
Japan will continue using foreign-made drones for now while also supporting domestic companies in building mass production capabilities. Policymakers fear that overreliance on imports could leave Japan vulnerable in a contingency if supplies are disrupted.