Government Procurement & Aerospace

• Introduction  

• Aerospace-related procurement & national security considerations 

• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 

• The JAXA procurement practice  

• JAXA Mailing list 

• Japan Space Systems  

• GPA/EPA Regulated Aerospace related Government Procurement 

• Non-R&D satellites and GPA-regulated procurement 

• Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) 

• Organization of JASDF Procurement 

• The ATLA procurement practice  

• Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CISCE) 

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (Drones) procurement 

• Conclusion 

• Annex 1: JTPP Helpdesk: Recent procurement contracts offered by JAXA (public offerings & plan competitions) 

• Annex 2: JTPP Helpdesk: Aerospace related procurement contracts

Japan has an advanced aerospace sector, despite not (yet) having an internationally competitive passenger aircraft-manufacturer such as Airbus in Europe or Boeing in the US. It is however an important player in terms of manufacturing of high-quality components for aircraft and valued all around the world.

In terms of development and production of defence-related aircraft, the country traditionally works closely with the US. Legal constraints have long prevented the country from exporting military equipment, thus leading to a manufacturing base that is primarily domestically oriented.[1]  Despite of this, Japan’s aerospace-products manufacturers have contributed greatly to the development of advanced defence systems over the years.

Japan has also succeeded in building a viable space programme: it has developed a reliable launching service with its H-IIA/B rockets, and a variety of successful satellite programs. Additionally, the country is an important contributor to the International Space Station (ISS), with an own module.[2] However, the emergence of new global players from the private sector, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has created a growing pressure on the sector in Japan to become more cost-efficient and internationally competitive.

Government involvement in aerospace-related activities is found in a variety of ways, ranging from initiating and supporting aerospace-related R&D programmes to being an end-user of products and services created by the sector. It includes a wide range of activities such as:

• supporting the development of state-of-the-art aircraft, rockets and missiles for defence purposes,
• the procurement of aircraft, services and systems necessary to perform public services for its citizens, such as rescue helicopters or satellite-related public services and facilities, and
• supporting the development of technologies to go beyond the planet, such as spacecraft, space vehicles and space stations.

In this 26-page report we attempt to provide an insight into the Japanese government’s procurement activities in relation to the various dimensions of the aerospace sector and provide an assessment of the opportunities present in this sector, by looking at some of the government agencies active in aerospace.

[1] https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Aerospace-Defense/Japan-s-defense-equipment-supply-chain-is-in-a-predicament

[2] For a recent overview of Japan’s private aerospace industry, see Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC),

  Japanese Aerospace Industry 2020-2021

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