Japan Loses Contact with a Surveillance Drone Off the Country’s Northwestern Coast
The Self-Defense Forces and Japan Coast Guard are searching after contact was lost with a $1.2 billion surveillance drone, officials said.
- On Tuesday, the Air Self-Defense Force lost contact with a Global Hawk surveillance drone operating off the coast of Tottori Prefecture. A search is underway in international waters approximately 50 kilometers north of the Tottori coast.
- The massive, long-endurance Global Hawk measures 40 meters wide and 15 meters long and disappeared from radar around 1 p.m. The aircraft is stationed with two others at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture.
- Japan Coast Guard and Self-Defense Forces vessels and aircraft are scouring the area, with NHK reporting that personnel spotted an apparent piece of the drone floating in the sea off Tottori.
- The three Global Hawk drones cost Japan an estimated $1.2 billion when purchased in 2015. The loss occurs amid China's repeated drone activity in recent years over the Sea of Japan.
- Officials report no damage to ships in the area despite the incident. The Global Hawk can stay airborne for upwards of 30 hours, though its specific mission remains unclear.
32 Articles
32 Articles
JASDF RQ-4B Crashes in the Sea of Japan
One of Japan’s three RQ-4B Global Hawks crashed in the Sea of Japan off the coast of Tottori Prefecture. One of the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s (JASDF) three RQ-4B Global Hawks has crashed in the Sea of Japan on Sep. 15, 2026. The airframe in question, 23-6003, took off from Misawa Air Base at […]
JAPAN'S Air Self-Defense Force said the drone had disappeared from radar and was last seen about 50 kilometers off the coast of Tottori Prefecture earlier this afternoon.
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The Seattle TimesJapan loses contact with a surveillance drone off the country’s northwestern coast
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s air force lost contact on Tuesday with one of its long-distance surveillance drones after it went missing during a flight off the country’s northwestern coast. There was no immediate information as to what the mission of the uncrewed RQ-4B aircraft, also known as Global Hawk, was. The Air Self-Defense Force said...
Japan says reconnaissance aircraft presumed crashed off western coast
TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Japan's Air Self-Defense Force said on Tuesday that a large unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft is presumed to have crashed off the coast of the western prefecture of Tottori after losing communications. ...
Japan loses contact with a surveillance drone off the country’s northwestern coast – WTOP News
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s air force lost contact on Tuesday with one of its long-distance surveillance drones after it went missing during a flight off the country’s northwestern coast. There was no immediate information as to what the mission of the uncrewed RQ-4B aircraft, also known as Global Hawk, was. The Air Self-Defense Force said...
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