Japanese startups are racing to enter defense drone production, as Tokyo seeks to cut reliance on Chinese industrial drones, which control 91% of Japan's market
THE SO WHAT
Japan treating a 91% Chinese share of its industrial drone market as a strategic vulnerability is a reminder that autonomy hardware is now national infrastructure, not just a tooling choice. If your operations depend on foreign-origin drones or autonomy stacks, expect more localization pressure, security reviews, and procurement constraints over the next cycle.
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