A Defense Agency research institute plans to produce two prototype high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned reconnaissance aircraft by fiscal 2012 at a total cost of 22 billion, yen it was learned Tuesday.
The institute hopes to manufacture the planes domestically instead of importing them from the United States, according to agency sources.
The move is expected to stir debate over whether it is appropriate to pour large sums of taxpayer money into developing planes that would most likely be inferior to existing U.S. aircraft and that would require even further investment to be practical.