Government Set to Launch Full-Scale Research on Defense Uses for Humanoid Robots; FY2027 Budget Request Includes Unpriced Item

On September 22, the government began considering a full-scale launch of research into the use of humanoid robots in defense. The plan envisions using “physical AI”—robots equipped with AI and able to operate autonomously—for Self-Defense Forces support missions such as base security and transporting supplies. The Ministry of Defense included the research in its FY2027 budget request as an item without a specified amount.

By positioning humanoid robots for support missions, the Ministry of Defense has shifted the debate from whether the machines can be built to whether they can meet requirements for tasks such as security and transport. The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency has proposed having robots developed by private companies and universities compete, so how evaluation criteria are designed could affect future conditions for entering the field.

What is new in this report is that the concept of assigning humanoid robots to defense support duties has advanced beyond a matter under consideration and has reached the stage of being included as an item in the FY2027 budget request. At the same time, the envisioned missions are base security, transporting supplies, reconnaissance and rescue, while direct combat use is viewed negatively. The focus, therefore, is on reducing labor requirements and automating logistical support rather than weaponization. The central issue appears to be less the humanoid robot itself than how to integrate AI-equipped autonomous systems into defense missions. A notable feature of the news is the effort to design procurement, evaluation and operations as a whole, rather than focusing only on developing the machines. The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency is considering a “Robotics Task Challenge” in which robots developed by private companies and universities would compete. As a result, evaluation criteria could include not only prototype performance but also the durability, continuous operation, remote monitoring and level of autonomous decision-making needed for base security and transport. The focus here is likely to be standardizing operating conditions for missions, rather than the performance of the robot alone. The report cites vacancies in Self-Defense Forces personnel and an estimate that the population eligible for recruitment will decline by about 30% in roughly 20 years as background to the Ministry of Defense’s focus on this topic. However, this does not mean robots will immediately replace personnel. Base security and transporting supplies are susceptible to labor shortages, but the safety requirements in the field and the allocation of responsibility in the event of a malfunction are significant. Whether these systems can be deployed will therefore depend less on their being humanoid than on which missions they can perform better than existing unmanned assets and what level of autonomy is acceptable. The next points to watch are whether the item request receives a funding amount, what evaluation criteria the Robotics Task Challenge will use, and which parts of base security and supply transport will be automated. As of the time of the report, the research framework is taking shape, but the budget, demonstration site, deployment schedule and requirements for eligible models have not been disclosed.

With reports of vacancies in Self-Defense Forces personnel and a declining population eligible for recruitment, reducing labor requirements for base security and transporting supplies is directly relevant to Japan’s defense operations. For Japanese robotics developers, the focus will be not only on the performance of individual machines but also on long-duration operation, safety in security environments and the explainability of autonomous control.