Japan tempted by Israeli drone offer, but must consider U.S. too
Japan is caught between a rock and a hard place in deciding whether to go with U.S. or Israeli technology in its purchase of next-generation drones for aerial surveillance.
The rock, of course, is the United States with which Japan has an iron-clad security alliance. The hard place is Israel, meaning that the product on offer is of great interest to Japan's Defense Ministry--although there are concerns that dealing with Tel Aviv in military matters could invite an unwanted backlash.
The natural choice for Japan is to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the United States, its long-time military ally.
However, the Global Hawk UAV that the Pentagon has pitched to Tokyo comes with costly maintenance obligations.
Israel has a long history in developing UAVs and is able to provide the SDF with relatively inexpensive equipment as part of a joint development project.
This puts Japan in an awkward position as it is clearly tempted by the Israeli technology but fearful of the diplomatic consequences that would inevitably ensue if it strengthened ties with a nation that many Arabs in the Middle East consider a sworn enemy.
Still, Defense Ministry officials showed considerable interest in what Israel has to offer at Eurosatory 2016, one of the world's largest weapons fairs, which was held June 13-17 in Paris.
For the first time, the Defense Ministry's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency set up a booth at the exhibition where 1,500 or so companies from more than 50 nations exhibited their wares.
Midway through the exhibition, on the morning of June 15, a closed-door meeting was held between Toru Hocchi, who heads the equipment policy department at the agency, and a high-ranking official of the Israeli Defense Ministry.
Japanese officials were interested in the Heron TP UAV developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
A source close to the discussions said that Israel pointed to the advantages of the Heron as a joint manufacturing project with Japan. Drones would not be equipped with a black box that prevents Japan getting its hands on sensitive technological data. Japan would also be able to install its own sensors.
According to Japanese government sources, the Defense Ministry began showing interest in Israel's medium-sized UAV three years ago.
In April 2014, the government approved three principles on the transfer of defense equipment which made possible, under certain conditions, the export of weapons as well as international joint development and manufacture of defense equipment.
In 2015, a group of Defense Ministry and SDF officials visited a number of sites in Israel to see the drone in action.
The Israeli Air Force allowed The Asahi Shimbun to visit a unit that operates the Heron UAV. The control room for the vehicle was located next to the runway. Each UAV was operated by a two-man crew, with the superior officer actually steering the UAV while the subordinate handled intelligence-gathering.
The image from the onboard camera was clear. The 26-year-old senior officer said, "This can distinguish between an armed terrorist and ordinary citizen from a high altitude."
IAI and about 20 other Israeli companies participated in a trade fair held in Tokyo in October 2015 that showed off the latest in anti-terrorism equipment.
A high-ranking official of the Israeli Defense Ministry said, "We have operated UAVs for 40 years and can boast the world's top class technology along with the United States."
A high-ranking Israeli military officer added that Israel was eager to cooperate with Japan because of its advanced technology and said it was willing to share the improved technology and experience accumulated through years of military tactical and strategic use.
One reason the Defense Ministry is thinking about a possible joint development project with Israel is the many issues that have arisen since the government decided in 2014 to purchase three U.S. Global Hawk UAVs.
Preparations are now being made for the first flight of the UAVs by the end of fiscal 2019.
But in the corridors of the Defense Ministry and in SDF circles a number of high-ranking officers are privately whispering that the Global Hawk could turn into a white elephant.
Initially, the Global Hawk, built by Northrop Grumman, was expected to be the ace in the hole for around-the-clock surveillance of nuclear weapon and missile development by North Korea as well as maritime advances by China.
However, as negotiations continued with U.S. officials, it became clear to Japanese officials that all sorts of restrictions on operations were being mounted in addition to the high cost.
Of greatest concern is the low frequency of operations. The Global Hawk flies at high altitude where weather conditions are severe. That means more time is needed for inspection and maintenance.
A high-ranking Defense Ministry official said each Global Hawk can only fly two to three times a week. Major gaps could appear in the surveillance network during an emergency if a certain number were undergoing long-term maintenance work.
The U.S. side has also said that initially only video functions of the onboard sensor will be provided. The sensors are capable of tracking the progress of naval vessels and gathering an enemy's radio signal information, but this technology will not be provided at the outset.
The cost of operating UAVs is also expected to rise far beyond initial expectations.
As much of the technology incorporated into the unmanned craft is super-sensitive for the United States and will not be shared with Japan, technicians from the United States will have to constantly be on site for maintenance work. Regular maintenance work will require sending the UAVs back to the United States.
Accessing data accumulated during UAV flights could also be problematic. The data is transmitted to the ground through satellite communications. But some of it may have to be handled by the United States for confidentiality reasons.
Estimates by the Defense Ministry put the annual cost for maintaining and managing the Global Hawk at more than 10 billion yen ($97.4 million).
While the Israeli Heron may not have the capabilities of the Global Hawk, a wider range of technology can be made available to Japan and the costs are much cheaper.
A source close to the discussions between Japan and Israel said, "If the Global Hawk is considered to be a luxurious Ferrari, the Heron is more like a family vehicle that is less expensive and easier to use."
Due to Japan's security alliance with the United States, a review of the Global Hawk purchase would be highly unlikely, but the joint development project with Israel could serve the function of filling in the gaps that might appear from operating the U.S. UAV.
The Defense Ministry is not the only entity attracted to the advanced levels of technology offered by Israel. In 2014, a delegation from Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) visited Israel, and in April this year a mission from Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) visited the nation dubbed the "Silicon Valley of the Middle East."
Those developments mark a major shift in stance among Japanese businesses which traditionally have focused on the Arab nations along the Persian Gulf.
For Israel, Japan represents a potential major market.
According to Israeli Defense Ministry officials, weapons exports in 2015 totaled $5.7 billion and the Asia-Pacific region ranked No. 1 in terms of importer nations with a total of $2.3 billion.
Expanding sales routes is a major priority for defense companies as international competition heats up.
A high-ranking Israeli Defense Ministry official said, "We need new partners and Japan is a genuine candidate."
However, due to the long dependence on the United States for sophisticated defense equipment, it remains to be seen if any joint development project with Israel on UAVs becomes a reality.
(Source : asahi.com)
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