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The drone, known as the AirKamuy 150, is a lightweight fixed-wing platform built primarily from corrugated cardboard with a water-resistant coating. Unlike conventional military drones that rely on expensive composite materials and specialized aerospace manufacturing, the AirKamuy 150 is designed around extreme affordability and mass production.
今日は段ボール製ドローンで有名なエアカムイの皆さんと意見交換をさせて頂きました。海上自衛隊では既に標的として活用しています。ドローンをはじめとする無人アセットを世界で最も駆使する自衛隊を目指す上で、防衛分野に意欲あるスタートアップの皆さんと連携強化は不可欠です。今日は非常に濃密な… pic.twitter.com/OJwVOpFiBT April 27, 2026
Perhaps, the drone’s most important feature is its cost. The AirKamuy 150 reportedly costs around $2,000 to $2,500 per unit. By military standards, that is extremely low. Conventional military reconnaissance and loitering drones can cost anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on their role and sophistication. Even Iran’s Shahed drones, which became heavily associated with the rise of low-cost attritional drone warfare during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are estimated to cost roughly $20,000 to $50,000 each — potentially more than ten times the cost of the AirKamuy drone.
You may like DARPA calls for proposals for autonomous underwater drones US and Gulf states race for Ukrainian interceptor drones, including 3D printed model that costs $1,000 apiece Russian-made Shahed drones are ‘disintegrating in the air before reaching their targets’ due to shoddy manufacturing, video shows AirKamuy appears to have achieved part of its extreme cost reduction by radically simplifying the drone’s construction. The company’s use of corrugated cardboard rather than relying heavily on expensive aerospace composites or carbon-fiber airframes is a major factor. According to the company, the approach could allow the drones to be manufactured using ordinary cardboard production infrastructure rather than specialized aerospace facilities, potentially enabling rapid mass production during conflict.
The drone can reportedly travel roughly 50 miles or remain airborne for around 80 minutes using an electric propulsion system while carrying payloads weighing up to three pounds. The company also says the drones, which are prefab and can be assembled in five to ten minutes, are shipped flat-packed, allowing roughly 500 units to fit inside a standard shipping container.
Speaking to the Royal Aeronautical Society at the Singapore Airshow earlier this year, AirKamuy Chief Engineer Naoki Morita said the platform was primarily envisioned as a counter-drone system capable of operating in large numbers. Beyond functioning as aerial targets, the lightweight drones could potentially be deployed in swarms to overwhelm air-defense systems, force enemy radar activation, absorb defensive fire ahead of more valuable assets, or carry small reconnaissance payloads, electronic warfare equipment, or limited munitions for one-way attack missions.
“There is strong demand for low-cost drones that can operate in large numbers and over long distances,” said AirKamuy CEO Yamaguchi Takumi in an interview with NHK World-Japan . “This model can be manufactured at any cardboard plant, ensuring high mass production capability and a robust supply chain.”
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/japan-is-deploying-ultra-cheap-cardboard-drones-built-for-swarm-warfare-and-expendable-combat-missions-usd2-000-expendable-combat-drones-cost-less-than-some-gaming-pcs#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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