据知情人士透露，日本防卫省计划加强相关研究与开发工作，以期引进配备人工智能及自动导航技术的自卫队运输船。
The Defense Ministry plans to enhance research and development for the introduction of Self-Defense Forces transport ships equipped with artificial intelligence and automatic navigation technology, informed sources have said.
此举既是为了减轻人员工作负担，也是为了提升自卫队的海上运输能力，从而应对各类突发情况。
The move is part of the ministry’s labor-saving efforts and is also aimed at reinforcing the SDF’s maritime transportation capacity in preparation for contingencies.
据称，该计划将被纳入日本政府拟于今年底修订的三份重要安保相关文件中。
The initiative will be included in the government’s three key security-related documents, slated to be revised by the end of this year, the sources said.
船舶自动导航系统可借助卫星及各类传感器来评估天气状况与海浪高度，进而选择最佳航行路线。在日本人口持续减少导致劳动力短缺的背景下，该系统有望帮助少量船员顺利操控船舶。目前，民间企业已开展了无人船舶导航技术的测试。
An automatic ship navigation system helps select appropriate routes by assessing weather conditions and wave heights using satellites and various sensors. It is expected to support the operation of ships by limited numbers of crew members, amid a labor shortage reflecting the country’s declining population. Tests of unmanned ship navigation have already been conducted in the private sector.
一旦遭遇敌方攻击，日本需迅速疏散偏远岛屿上的居民，并运送食品及其他物资。
In the event of an enemy attack, Japan would need to swiftly evacuate residents of remote islands and transport food and other goods.
考虑到南西诸岛地区存在发生紧急事态的可能性，据知情人士称，防卫省计划大力推广运输船的自动化与无人化操作，以此保障物资供应顺畅，并降低自卫队员在危险区域执行任务时所面临的风险。
Bearing in mind a potential emergency in the Nansei southwestern region, where many remote islands are located, the ministry plans to promote labor-saving and unmanned operations of SDF transport vessels to ensure smooth supplies of goods and reduce risks for SDF members in unsafe areas, according to the sources.
此外，鉴于人工智能与无人机在俄乌冲突中得到了广泛应用，防卫省认为也有必要在自卫队的运输与物流作业中引入相关先进技术，以应对“新型作战方式”。
The ministry believes that it is also necessary to introduce advanced technologies in SDF transport and logistics operations in response to “new ways of warfare” backed by AI and drones, which have been actively used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
在明年4月开始的2027财年预算申请中，防卫省已申请了用于研发自动导航船舶的相关研究经费，但具体金额尚未确定。
As part of its budget request for fiscal 2027, which starts next April, the ministry sought funds for research and surveys on self-navigating ships without indicating a specific amount.
去年，鉴于中国军队在海上活动日益频繁，日本自卫队在陆上、航空自卫队的基础上成立了海上运输群，旨在强化南西诸岛地区的防御能力。
Last year, the SDF Maritime Transport Group was established among the Air, Ground and Maritime SDF to strengthen the defense posture in the Nansei region in light of the Chinese military’s increasing maritime activities.
当前，提升自卫队向各岛屿部署兵力与装备的能力已成为一项重要课题，防卫省计划构建一套在和平时期及紧急状态下均能高效运转的海上运输体系。
As improving the SDF’s capability to deploy troops and equipment to islands is becoming a key challenge, the ministry aims to build a stable maritime transport system that works effectively both in peacetime and during emergencies.