TOKYO: A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force 'Global Hawk' surveillance drone went missing over the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, Sept. 15, after communication with the unmanned aircraft were lost off western Japan, prompting a joint search operation and raising questions about what caused the incident.
The drone was flying about 50 kilometers (31 miles) off the coast of Tottori Prefecture when communication was lost according to reports. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force launched a search operation after losing contact with the aircraft. Officials have not disclosed details about the drone’s mission, describing the flight as a training operation.
Japan’s Coast Guard later reported that suspected debris from the Global Hawk was found in the sea, strengthening suspicions that the aircraft had crashed. Search efforts involved aircraft from the Air Self-Defense Force, vessels from the Maritime Self-Defense Force and Japan Coast Guard units.
Teams continued searching the area for additional wreckage and information that could help determine what happened to the drone. Japan currently operates three RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones. The unmanned aircraft were first deployed at Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan in 2022.
The country’s other two Global Hawk drones remained operational as authorities continued recovery efforts and investigated the cause of the incident. The investigation is expected to focus on determining whether the aircraft experienced a technical problem, operational issue or another cause before it went down.
