Japan Is Mass Producing 3D-Printed Interceptor Drones

Japan's Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency signed a mass production procurement agreement for the Terra B1 interceptor drone, a system built using 3D printers by Tokyo-based Terra Drone. The deal moves Japan from testing to fielding a counter-drone capability in roughly three months, a timeline that would have been unheard of under traditional defense procurement.

Fast-track procurement

The Terra B1 passed an ATLA demonstration test conducted with the Maritime Self-Defense Forces in late July and early August. ATLA had selected the drone from proposals submitted by 38 companies. Terra B1 was the only aircraft to pass the evaluation, which covered range, flight duration, guidance method, system integration, and production capacity.

The contract followed a May 2026 tender calling for rapid acquisition of drones capable of intercepting one-way attack drones such as the Shahed and anti-radar loitering munitions such as the IAI Harpy. Under normal circumstances, that process takes one to two years. ATLA compressed it to three months.

Why 3D printing makes the difference

Terra Drone CEO Toru Tokushige told Defense News that additive manufacturing simplifies and shortens the design and prototyping stage. That speed lets Terra B1 move into mass production quickly while still meeting contract requirements. But speed is only one advantage.

3D printing also lets Terra Drone modify the interceptor design as threats evolve. The drone technology landscape changes fast, and a conventionally manufactured system would require new tooling and long lead times to adapt. With printed parts, the company can iterate on the airframe without delaying deployment.

Distributed production

Terra Drone plans to spread production across multiple locations, eventually expanding to local printing farms. The goal is to ensure manufacturing can continue even if one facility comes under attack. A distributed model significantly reduces the risk of the entire supply chain being disrupted, Tokushige said.

Initial deployment will be with the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Air Self-Defense Force and Ground Self-Defense Force are under consideration for later expansion. The company said the financial impact on its current fiscal year results is still under review.

A global pattern

Japan is not the only military betting on 3D-printed drones. The US Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade has been producing FPV drones in the field at $400 to $500 per unit. The Pentagon's Switchblade 600 loitering munitions cost $170,000 each by comparison. The Terra B1 sits in a different class, but the logic is similar: rapid, low-cost production of expendable aerial systems makes strategic sense when attrition is part of the mission.

Terra Drone's earlier Terra A1 system was fielded on Ukraine's battlefields earlier in 2026. The Terra B1 is the Japan-made follow-on, and the ATLA contract is the first major validation that the technology can move from field use to formal national procurement at scale.