A Nissan plant in Japan may be repurposed to produce combat drones — Reuters
The American defense company Anduril Industries is in talks to acquire the Oppama automobile plant, which is owned by Nissan. The company plans to use the facility to launch production of military drones, which could mark a significant shift in the profile of one of Japan’s key automotive manufacturers.
The Oppama plant has been in operation since 1961 and is a symbol of Japan’s industrial recovery after World War II. However, Nissan plans to close it in 2028 as part of its capacity reduction efforts. If the deal goes through, the famous auto plant—where the first mass-produced electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, was once built—will be transformed into a military facility.
The purchase negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of the Japanese government’s plans to expand its own military production due to the risks of conflict surrounding Taiwan. For now, Nissan is considering other buyers, and Anduril needs official orders from the Japanese military to make a final decision. The American manufacturer has already offered to retrain the plant’s automotive workers to assemble military equipment.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey notes that his company is capable of developing autonomous weapons faster and more cost-effectively than traditional defense contractors. The company previously built a drone prototype using exclusively Japanese parts to demonstrate its readiness to operate in the local market, Reuters reports.
Earlier, Japan called for the transfer of missiles for Patriot systems to Ukraine.
As a reminder, Japan wants access to the most powerful AI to protect against hackers.
Japan is replacing people with robots on a massive scale due to the demographic crisis.
