Japan’s AI satellites and other space ambitions ‘a serious threat’, China warns

Japan’s plan to develop tactical satellites equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) would boost its long-range offensive strike capabilities and pose a serious threat, Chinese state media has warned.

The Japanese Nikkei newspaper reported last week that the planned AI-equipped satellites would be capable of analysing surveillance intelligence in space. The aim is to speed up targeting decisions and strengthen the country’s “counterstrike capability”, such as missile guidance.

According to the report, the defence ministry will develop a prototype satellite with domestic companies and conduct ground tests in the coming years, with space launches expected from the 2030 financial year.

Funding for the project has been included in Japan’s draft defence budget request for the 2027 financial year, although the exact amount has not been disclosed.

While traditional reconnaissance spacecraft send raw images to the ground for processing, these devices will collect data from other satellites and process the information in orbit.

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By only sending the AI-generated analysis results, the Japanese project aims to significantly reduce the time for space-to-ground communication, according to the Nikkei report.