September 3, 2026

Akahata has learned that in a trilateral joint command post exercise, “Yama Sakura”, which Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. and Australian militaries launched on September 2, the U.S. military is using its domestic AI for command and control (CAC).

Akahata pointed out that this appears to be a demonstration intended for the introduction of U.S.-made AI into the SDF CAC systems which is currently under consideration by the Ministry of Defense.

The U.S. military utilizes AI to select targets in its military operations like attacks on Iran, but numerous supposedly mistaken targeting of civilian facilities has become an issue of concern.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s “AI Acceleration Strategy” which was released in January outlined a plan to accelerate the incorporation of AI into the entire U.S. military force structure. The U.S. forces have adopted Palantir Technologies’ AI system called “Maven Smart System (MSS)”. It is highly likely that this system was used in the Yama Sakura trilateral joint military drill.

MSS dramatically reduces the time required to assess and launch an attack. On the other hand, it can err in its judgement if the data is incorrect or outdated as evidenced in the case during the U.S. attack on Iran in which a girl’s elementary school was bombed and many girls and civilians were killed.

The Defense Ministry in its budget request for fiscal 2027 incorporated the first-ever introduction of foreign-made AI into CAC systems and MSS has become a potential choice.

The introduction of the same AI CAC systems as the U.S. military could force the SDF to assume a task of carrying out enemy base attacks, including preemptive strikes on other countries’ territories, under U.S. command. In addition, reliance on foreign-made AI will create a risk that national security-related data could be appropriated and mishandled.

Exercise Yama Sakura is scheduled to take place for nine days from September 2 at SDF bases in Hokkaido, Kagawa, and Kumamoto as well as at U.S. bases in Okinawa.

Past related article:
> Defense Ministry considering using US-made AI for SDF command and control functions [August 19, 2026]