Japan Loses Contact With Surveillance Drone Off Tottori Coast

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force lost contact with one of its long-range surveillance drones on Tuesday after the aircraft went missing during a flight off the country's northwestern coast.

The uncrewed RQ-4B, known as the Global Hawk, disappeared from radar and was last detected about 50 kilometers (31 miles) off the coast of Tottori prefecture earlier in the afternoon, the service said. No details were immediately available about the purpose of the flight.

The drone is one of three Global Hawks operated by the air force and based at Misawa Air Base in the northern prefecture of Aomori.

The aircraft are prized for their ability to carry out long-distance missions, flying at altitudes of roughly 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and remaining airborne for as long as 36 hours. Those capabilities allow Japan to keep watch over areas of the Asian mainland, including North Korea and China.

Japan has been reworking its defense posture to make greater use of drones, including for combat roles, alongside artificial intelligence and new approaches to warfare. Under a five-year plan drawn up in 2022, the country doubled defense spending to about 2% of gross domestic product, expanding the Self-Defense Forces' offensive role in response to China's growing assertiveness.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is now preparing fresh security and defense strategies, which are expected to be presented later this year. Beijing has described Japan's military buildup as "new militarism."