German drone maker Helsing enlists Rakuten to broker Japan military deal

German drone maker Helsing has enlisted Japanese e-commerce and finance firm Rakuten to help finalize a deal to sell its unmanned systems to Japan’s army, a spokesperson for Rakuten said on Monday.

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces are currently testing Helsing’s HX-2 strike drone, as Tokyo looks to modernize its military and counter an increasingly assertive China. The field tests will run until the end of September, the spokesperson said.

Helsing struck an “initial agreement” for the Japanese government to use its systems earlier this year, a spokesperson for the Munich-based company said, adding that the move was made possible by an unnamed “local brokerage partner.”

Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rakuten’s involvement with Helsing was first reported by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. While the Tokyo-based conglomerate has limited defense experience, it is aiming to help more startups break into Japan’s defense industry.

“Encouraging greater participation for startups in Japan’s defense industry presents an important opportunity to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities,” Hideaki Mukai, chief of staff to Rakuten’s CEO, said in a statement to Reuters. “Startups often face significant structural barriers, including complex procurement systems, difficulties communicating with government agencies and challenging procurement cycles.

“Rakuten hopes to help bridge these gaps by leveraging our experience and capabilities to connect startups and cutting-edge technologies with the needs of government agencies, further driving innovation and development in Japan’s defense industry.”

A military spending splurge by Japan, along with its easing of arms-export rules earlier this year, has sparked strong interest from overseas defense firms looking for local partners to break into a potentially lucrative new market.

Rakuten helped U.S.-listed Ukrainian drone software maker Swarmer organize a demonstration of its technology for a unit of Japan’s military earlier this year, Reuters previously reported.

The late-April test involved using its AI software to coordinate a swarm of drones ​in a seek-and-hit mission in Japan.

Rakuten’s billionaire founder Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani has been among Japan’s most vocal supporters of Ukraine, and his firm has also helped other Ukrainian defense firms exhibit their products at arms fairs in Japan.

Founded in 2021, Helsing initially focused on artificial intelligence software ​designed to help analyze battlefield data ​before ⁠expanding into autonomous strike drones, underwater surveillance systems and military aircraft applications.

It has secured contracts ⁠with ​European governments and defense ​companies, while supplying drones for Ukraine backed by German government ​funding. The Munich-based firm raised $1.8 billion in a funding round in July, cementing its position as the continent’s best-funded defense technology startup.

德国无人机制造商赫尔辛公司已与日本电子商务和金融公司乐天合作，以最终敲定向日本陆军出售其无人系统的交易。乐天的一位发言人周一表示。

日本陆上自卫队目前正在测试“赫尔辛”HX-2攻击型无人机，东京方面希望借此实现军事现代化，以应对日益强势的中国。发言人表示，实地测试将持续到9月底。

慕尼黑一家公司的发言人表示，Helsing 今年早些时候与日本政府达成了一项“初步协议”，允许其使用该公司的系统。该发言人还补充说，这一举动是由一位未透露姓名的“当地经纪合作伙伴”促成的。

日本陆上自卫队尚未对此事作出回应。

日本《日经新闻》率先报道了乐天与Helsing的合作。这家总部位于东京的综合企业在国防领域经验有限，但其目标是帮助更多初创企业打入日本国防工业。

乐天集团首席执行官幕僚长向井秀明在发给路透社的一份声明中表示：“鼓励更多初创企业参与日本国防工业，是加强国家国防能力的重要契机。初创企业往往面临诸多结构性障碍，包括复杂的采购体系、与政府机构沟通困难以及漫长的采购周期。”

“乐天希望利用自身的经验和能力，将初创企业和尖端技术与政府机构的需求联系起来，从而弥合这些差距，进一步推动日本国防工业的创新和发展。”

日本大幅增加军费开支，加上今年早些时候放宽武器出口规定，引发了海外国防企业的浓厚兴趣，这些企业希望寻找当地合作伙伴，打入这个潜在的利润丰厚的新市场。

据路透社此前报道，乐天集团今年早些时候帮助在美国上市的乌克兰无人机软件制造商 Swarmer 为日本军方某单位组织了一次技术演示。

4 月下旬的测试中，该公司利用其人工智能软件协调一群无人机在日本执行搜索和打击任务。

乐天集团的亿万富翁创始人三木谷浩史（Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani）一直是日本最积极的乌克兰支持者之一，他的公司还帮助其他乌克兰国防公司在日本的武器展上展示他们的产品。

Helsing 成立于 2021 年，最初专注于人工智能软件，旨在帮助分析战场数据，之后扩展到自主攻击无人机、水下监视系统和军用飞机应用领域。

该公司已与欧洲各国政府和国防企业签订合同，并在德国政府的资助下向乌克兰供应无人机。这家总部位于慕尼黑的公司在7月份的一轮融资中筹集了18亿美元，巩固了其作为欧洲大陆资金最雄厚的国防科技初创公司的地位。