Japan Air Self-Defense Force Recon Drone Crashes into Sea of Japan
One of Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System crashed into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, the service announced. The reconnaissance drone crashed in an area approximately 50 kilometers – 31 miles – north of the Tottori Prefecture, located in the western part of Honshu. The UAS, assigned to the 502nd Squadron, Air Warning Wing based at JASDF Misawa Air Base, took off at 10:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a JASDF report on the loss. There was a communication failure with the Global Hawk around 12:55 p.m. and the drone disappeared from radar
Japan receives its first RQ-4B Global Hawk at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 12, 2022. US Air Force photo One of Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System crashed into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, the service announced.
The reconnaissance drone crashed in an area approximately 50 kilometers – 31 miles – north of the Tottori Prefecture, located in the western part of Honshu.
The UAS, assigned to the 502nd Squadron, Air Warning Wing based at JASDF Misawa Air Base, took off at 10:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a JASDF report on the loss. There was a communication failure with the Global Hawk around 12:55 p.m. and the drone disappeared from radar at 12:58 p.m.
A Japan Coast Guard helicopter spotted floating debris at 2:19 p.m. and at 2:25 p.m., an F-15J fighter assigned to the search spotted the debris. The JASDF confirmed the debris was the missing Global Hawk at 5:20 p.m. At 6 p.m., Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force fast attack craft JS Hayabusa (PG-824) reached the scene and took photographs of the floating debris. The photos have not been released.
“Based on photographs of floating debris taken by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Hayabusa, the aircraft is believed to have crashed,” reads the JASDF statement.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Japan receives its first RQ-4B Global Hawk at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 12, 2022. US Air Force photo Two F-15J fighters, a U-125A maritime SAR aircraft, a UH-60J helicopter and a KC-46A tanker aircraft were deployed for the search mission, as well as JMSDF frigate JS Agano (FFM-6) and Hayabusa (PG-824). The JASDF concluded search operations at 6:15 p.m on Tuesday, while maritime forces continue to search for debris, authorities said.
In a Tuesday press conference, head of the JASDF Gen. Takehiro Morita said the Global Hawk was not on a training mission but declined to specify what it was doing.
“This particular flight was not a training exercise. I apologize, but please allow me to coordinate regarding how much information I can disclose at this stage. I will provide an answer later,” said Morita, according to a transcript.
Japan has operated three Global Hawks since 2022. All three were assigned to the 502nd Squadron. The three Global Hawks represent the Japanese military’s sole long-distance UAS capability.
The JMSDF will introduce the MQ-9B Sea Guardian UAS in Fiscal Year 2027 and plans to procure 23 UASs. Japan’s Ministry of Defense Ministry of Defense FY2027 budget request calls for $1.88 billion USD to acquire 17 MQ-9Bs.
In a press conference on Sept. 1, head of the JMSDF Adm. Akira Saito said the service’s plan is to initially deploy 10 MQ-9Bs at JMSDF Kanoya Air Base on Kyushu. Another 10 will be deployed at JMSDF Hachinohe Air Base on Honshu.
The MQ-9Bs are slated to replace the JMSDF P-1 and P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft on missions that could be carried out by drones instead of the patrol aircraft. The MQ-9Bs would be deployed to carry out missions throughout the waters surrounding Japan.
The Kanoya City council on Sept. 1 released a defense ministry notice that stated the MQ-9Bs will be deployed in increments of two UASs per fiscal year from FY2027 to FY2029. Japan plans to have 10 MQ9Bs deployed at JMSDF Kanoya by FY2031.
A U.S. Air Force RQ-4B Global Hawk Block 40 assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron taxis on the runway at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 27, 2026. US Air Force photo The U.S. Air Force also has three Global Hawks at Yokota Air Base, assigned to the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron. The drones were permanently deployed there in May, relocating from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The relocation was due to more favorable weather in the Kanto region during the typhoon season, according to a U.S. Air Force news release.
“This ensures persistent reconnaissance in a region where challenges to a free and open Indo-Pacific continue to increase,” reads the release.
The MQ-4C Triton, a derivative of the Global Hawk fielded by the U.S. Navy is also operating around Japan. A Wednesday news release from the JMSDF said that a JMSDF EP-3 electronic intelligence aircraft and a UP-3 reconnaissance aircraft carried out an information exchange exercise with a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton on Tuesday over the East China Sea.
