Japan Deploys Low-Cost Cardboard Drones for Military Training and Future Operations

In 2026 Japan’s Minister of Defense, Shinjiro Koizumi, met with the startup Air Kamui to showcase the AirKamuy 150, a pre-fabricated drone constructed from corrugated cardboard. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has already incorporated the platform as an aerial target in live-fire exercises, marking the first operational use of a disposable cardboard aircraft by the Japanese armed forces.

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Air Kamui’s cardboard drones are designed for rapid, low-cost production. Each unit is water-resistant, flat-packed like an IKEA shelf, and can be assembled in roughly five minutes. The material choice yields a lightweight, biodegradable airframe that reduces radar cross-section compared with metal or carbon-fiber drones, a feature the Ministry of Defense cites as advantageous for both training and potential low-observable reconnaissance.

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• Shinjiro Koizumi – Minister of Defense, champion of expanded unmanned-systems integration.

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• Air Kamui – Startup developer of the AirKamuy 150 and other expendable platforms.

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• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) – Primary user of the cardboard drones as training targets.

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• Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) – Established dedicated drone offices to support broader integration.

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• Ministry of Defense – Provides funding and policy direction for domestic drone supply-chain projects such as the “Shiraha” initiative.

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• Early 2026 – Koizumi’s meeting with Air Kamui; public demonstration of the AirKamuy 150.

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• 2026 (date unspecified) – JMSDF begins fielding the drones as aerial targets.

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• April 2026 – Startup JISDA unveils the ACM-01 Shiraha, a wooden-fuselage drone priced around $450, reinforcing the domestic low-cost drone strategy.

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• AirKamuy 150 price: ? $2,500 per unit, markedly cheaper than conventional fixed-wing UAVs.

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• Assembly time: ~5 minutes from flat-pack to flight-ready.

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• Radar signature: Significantly lower than metal or carbon-fiber counterparts, enhancing low-observable potential.

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• Shiraha price: ? $450 per unit, fully domestically sourced.

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The cardboard drones support Japan’s SHIELD (Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense) concept, which envisions a dense network of affordable unmanned systems for continuous surveillance of the southwestern islands. Their expendability enables more frequent live-fire drills, improving missile-defence readiness without the logistical burden of recovery. The low radar reflectivity also opens avenues for reconnaissance missions. Beyond combat, the Ministry highlights dual-use applications in disaster response, such as rapid damage assessment and search-and-rescue operations.

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Minister Koizumi emphasized that the JMSDF “is already utilizing” the cardboard drones as targets and framed the initiative as part of a broader ambition to become the world’s most extensive user of unmanned assets. He also stressed that collaboration with innovative startups is “indispensable” for achieving this goal. The Ministry of Defense has publicly backed the “Shiraha” project to secure a fully domestic supply chain for expendable UAVs.

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Public sources do not record organized criticism or opposition to the cardboard-drone program. No dissenting statements were identified in the available material.

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• “The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is already utilizing them as targets,” — Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister of Defense, post on X

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• “In aiming to become the Self-Defense Forces that makes the most extensive use of unmanned assets, including drones, in the world, strengthening collaboration with startups enthusiastic about the defense sector is indispensable.” — Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister of Defense

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The Ministry plans to expand the role of cardboard drones from training targets to low-observable reconnaissance platforms within the SHIELD network. Ongoing development of domestically produced models like the Shiraha aims to further reduce reliance on foreign components and to scale the deployment of expendable UAVs for both security and humanitarian missions.

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