Japan Develops Military Metaverse for Defense Purposes

Amidst a turbulent geopolitical climate, Japan is ramping up the creation of advanced defense technology. One potential solution for the Japanese military to prepare for potential conflicts could be a military metaverse, deemed the “most effective” tool.

In June, the Japanese government released the Defense Technology Guidelines 2023, which highlighted the importance of adapting to the evolving technologies of modern warfare. The guidelines listed 12 key priorities for approximately 200 companies that were informally chosen to participate in the country’s defense technology initiative.

The government plans to discuss the creation of a metaverse in upcoming meetings with participating companies. This metaverse would be able to visualize invisible things and make virtual information seem real. The goal is to deceive opponents in military situations.

Braden R. Allenby, a professor at Arizona State University, stated that Japan’s interest in this technology is not surprising, given the weaponization of non-traditional technologies. According to Allenby, producing deceptive ‘realities’ on various levels can be the most efficient method to counteract an opponent’s assaults.

A recent report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, revealed various metaverse-based projects conducted by military organizations in the APAC region, such as China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Singaporean Air Force, and the Korean Air Force.

In its report, The Metaverse in Defense, GlobalData noted militaries across the globe are under pressure to modernize and find innovative methods for organizing and conducting operations in both conventional and unconventional conflicts following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions over Taiwan.

Several countries, including China, Singapore, and South Korea, are incorporating the metaverse into their military plans. China is investing significantly in its military metaverse to achieve technological equality with its potential peer adversaries, particularly the US.

China’s PLA is also exploring using the metaverse for warfare tactics. One proposed approach is targeting an opponent’s metaverse to disrupt their ability to command, control, communicate, gather intelligence, conduct surveillance, and perform reconnaissance (abbreviated as C4ISR).