Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force confirmed on September 16 that one of its three RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drones had crashed into the Sea of Japan, about 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture, after a communications link failure the previous day.
Communication failure before the aircraft disappeared
The Global Hawk departed Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture at about 10:20 a.m. on September 15. A communications problem was reported around 12:55 p.m., and three minutes later the aircraft disappeared from radar over international waters.
Japan’s Coast Guard and Self-Defense Force aircraft later located floating debris off Tottori. After reviewing photographs, the JASDF formally concluded that the drone had crashed.
An operational mission, not training
Authorities said the aircraft was on an operational mission rather than a training flight, without disclosing the mission’s nature. No injuries or damage outside the Self-Defense Forces were reported. The cause remains under investigation.
The JASDF has suspended training flights by its remaining Global Hawks during the investigation. Japan had only three RQ-4Bs, so the loss temporarily reduces the fleet to two aircraft.
Why it matters
Built by Northrop Grumman, the RQ-4B is a high-altitude, long-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform. Japan’s fleet is based at Misawa and forms part of Tokyo’s effort to strengthen strategic surveillance amid heightened regional military activity. Losing one of only three aircraft also has operational and financial consequences even without crew risk, making the investigation important for determining whether the cause was technical, environmental or operational.
Sources
Japan Air Self-Defense Force; Japan Coast Guard; Jiji Press/Nippon.com; FNN; TV Asahi; Associated Press.
Related: US airlines turn to ADS-B In for aviation safety, another look at surveillance technology in aviation.
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