Australian flight simulator producer Ryan Aerospace is optimistic that the firm’s cost competitiveness, record of success and development strategy will help the company expand its presence in the Japanese market, Managing Director Chris Ryan told ADM at the third DSEI Japan defence and security exhibition in Chiba on Wednesday.
DSEI Japan 2025, whose theme is ‘Strengthening Indo-Pacific security through advanced technology,’ featured exhibits from over 250 firms from 34 nations ranging from North America, Europe (21 nations), the Middle East, East and South-East Asia and Oceania.
Ryan Aerospace appeared alongside over 40 Australian or Australia-based firms, including software and systems engineering firm Acacia, non-kinetic counter-drone technology producer DroneShield, autonomous maritime system supplier Ocius, Multi-Agent Orchestration (MAO) technology provider HI.RO.CO, and data analytics firm Fivecast.
Ryan Aerospace, which specialised in helicopter and fixed wing jet simulators, has to date sold over 60 simulators to Japan, its main customer being the nation’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). Chris Ryan attributed success in the Japanese market to his products’ cost competitiveness, training efficiency and compact design, noting that major selling points have been his products’ mixed/augmented reality display, as well as the facility for being platform-agnostic, modular and reconfigurable.
The company also has a strong international presence, with its major purchaser being the United States, where it has sold over 300 units. The company has provided training solutions for a variety of aerial platforms including Airbus H145 utility helicopters, Boeing AH-64 Apaches, B-52 Stratofortresses, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and US Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainers.
Chris Ryan said the company is pursuing developments to exploit growth opportunities in drone training simulator and operation platforms. Japan’s Cabinet-approved late 2022 National Defence Strategy called for the expanded use of unmanned assets to reduce costs, minimise casualties, and reduce the impact of recruitment shortfalls – a priority that was reinforced in the concurrently released Defense Buildup Program, and last December’s Ministry of Defense 2025 Outline of Budgetary Appropriation Requests.
A feature of this push has been efforts to increase the multifarity of unmanned platforms, with Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) having recently released tenders for specifications including truck-based assault UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), tactical and heavy resupply unmanned aircraft systems, warning, surveillance and electronic warfare UAVs.
The large Australian contingent at the exhibition comes as Japan seeks to deepen defence industrial and technological ties with the US and other partners in and beyond the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, the United Kingdom and Asian partners including Singapore. Speaking at the event, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reiterated the need to further strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners, stating "It’s become impossible for one country to bear the costs and the risk of research and development alone.”