Japan's Air Self-Defense Force launches search for missing Global Hawk drone
The Air Self-Defense Force is searching for a Global Hawk UAV that lost contact over the Sea of Japan near Tottori prefecture.
Around 12:58 p.m., the Air Self-Defense Force reported loss of communication with a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft about 50 km off Tottori's coast. The mission was not a training flight, and officials have not disclosed its purpose. This marks the first disappearance of an ASDF Global Hawk since the fleet arrived at Misawa Air Base in 2022. The missing drone is one of three operated by the force.
Why it matters
A missing military drone raises concerns about equipment safety and operational transparency for Japan's defense forces.
In this story
Global Hawkunmanned aerial vehiclemissing dronesearch operationSea of JapanTottoriMisawa Air Base2022 deploymentJapan defense
