In this fortnightly online column, ADM journalist Corey Lee Bell covers defence news across Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Japanese information technology firm NEC has won a contract from Japan’s Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Agency (ATLA) for research on an AI foundation model for processing underwater acoustics, according to a company press release posted on 18 August.
The project, under the supervision of ATLA’s Defense Innovation Science and Technology Institute, aims to train AI on big data to develop a general-purpose generative foundation model for underwater acoustics that could improve our understanding of oceans.
A foundation model is a large AI model trained on vast amounts of data that can be used or adapted to a wide range of tasks. By contrast, the vast majority of current underwater acoustic AI models are designed for specific tasks.
NEC has also claimed that the project could facilitate the development of a digital twin of the ocean, referring to a digital replication that can be used as a test bed to model and predict real world changes.
Japan has a strong portfolio of research on using AI models to analyse underwater acoustics.
Hitachi and instrumentation manufacturer Shimadzu participated in a 2023 ATLA project to research the use of AI to analyse opto-acoustic signals to facilitate underwater wireless communication.
That same year NEC showcased a Low-Frequency Synthetic Aperture Sonar (LF-SAS) capable of detecting mines buried beneath the seabed, along with plans to pair the technology with AI-powered Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) technology.
In 2025, Japanese ICT firm Oki Electric Industry confirmed successful tests of a “Ship Classification AI System” that utilises deep learning of underwater acoustics to allow the automatic acquisition of ship classification data in environments where visual identification is impeded.
ATLA is also currently developing a modular long-range AI-driven unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capable of oceanographic surveying, surveillance and attack functions, which is slated for service in 2031.
These developments come as Japan has accelerated efforts to develop sovereign AI defence models, which were listed in its 2026 Defense of Japan White Paper as one of the core technological priorities, alongside drones and space domain assets, for adapting to “new methods of warfare” showcased in recent conflicts including the Russo-Ukraine War.
They also follow efforts to drastically expanding the purview of defence AI applications across Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, with ATLA recently engaging in or funding projects related to intelligence collecting and analysis, information warfare, battlefield and command level decision making, drone teaming, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) navigation, targeting, logistics and inventory keeping, training packages, as well as for optimising defence manufacturing.
The new contract continues a bumper period for NEC’s defence business, which was Japan’s fourth best performer by revenue for the Japanese 2023 and 2024 financial years (April to March), with its aerospace and defence business reported operating profit for 2025 coming in at ¥44.5 billion (approx. A $395 million).
It also follows the company, which is one of Japan’s oldest defence sonar equipment developers, making rapid gains in AI large language learning, with its Cotomi Pro model ranking second highest in a 2024 Japanese Elyza Tasks 100 task evaluating test featuring GPT-4\3.5, Gemini 1.0 Pro and Claude 2.1.
On 18 April, the company also announced that it had signed a contract with Canberra to supply sonar-related equipment, as well as antennas and other technology, as part of the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea 3000 frigate procurement program.
NEC Executive Officer Hiroyuki Nagano stated in a company press release that the company “will contribute to strengthening Australia’s defense capabilities and enhancing Japan-Australia interoperability through this contract."