NEC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to form strategic alliance to further strengthen and transform defense capabilities

Hiroyuki Nagano, Corporate Executive Vice President and COO (Executive Officer), NEC Corporation (left) and Masayuki Eguchi, Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief of the Defense and Space Segment, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (right)

NEC Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward a strategic partnership in the defense sector. Through this partnership, the two companies will strengthen their collaboration in areas such as operation plans, command and control, and unmanned assets, with the aim of reinforcing Japan's industrial base for defense and establishing data and AI sovereignty.

In recent years, the security environment around the world has undergone significant changes, and Japan's Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces are moving to strengthen and transform the country's defense capabilities. With this backdrop, companies at the core of the defense industry are supporting national security by accelerating the improvement cycle for defense equipment, and ensuring the sovereignty and reliability of data and AI in order to adapt to "new ways of warfare" utilizing unmanned assets and AI.

As the integration of defense equipment and cloud operations progresses and the utilization of AI technology advances, NEC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will leverage their respective strengths to contribute to the strengthening and transformation of defense capabilities by providing high- value-added and highly reliable products and services for the development of new command and control systems.

"This partnership marks an important step toward realizing a truly sovereign and highly reliable defense system that brings together Japan's technologies and expertise. Going forward, we will contribute to the strengthening and transformation of Japan's defense by ensuring the performance of critical capabilities with cutting-edge technologies and leveraging domain knowledge."- Takayuki Morita, President and CEO, NEC Corporation

"We are confident that this partnership will be a crucial foundation for a truly sovereign and highly reliable defense system that integrates both companies' advanced technologies and expertise and maximizes our technological advantages. Together, we will support safety and security, contribute to the further strengthening of defense capabilities and the sustainable development of security infrastructure." - Eisaku Ito, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.