Japan's Ministry of Defense develops AI-equipped surveillance satellite... Aims to enhance 'counterattack capabilities'

(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Doyeon Lee = Japan's Ministry of Defense has decided to develop a satellite equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that analyzes information collected by surveillance satellites in space, the Nippon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the 5th.

Through this, the plan is to increase the operational ability of long-range missiles and improve the 'counterattack ability' to suppress enemy attacks.

According to reports, the Ministry of Defense plans to produce an AI satellite prototype with a Japanese company from 2027 to 2029, verify its performance on the ground, and then launch it into space after 2030 to confirm its functionality.

The AI ​​mounted on the satellite is expected to be Japanese AI.

This AI satellite processes information collected by several surveillance satellites in a short time, determines the enemy's location, and transmits it to the ground.

The command center on the ground decides to launch a long-range missile based on the analyzed information transmitted by the satellite.

The idea is that by completing information processing in space, the time required for data communication can be reduced, and the satellite can transmit information to the launched missile in real time and guide it to the target, thereby increasing the accuracy of the attack.

The Japanese Self-Defense Force uses long-range 'stand-off' (long-distance strike) missiles, which can strike attack bases outside the enemy's range, as the main axis of deterrence.