Japan loses contact with a surveillance drone off the country’s northwestern coast

Japan's air force lost contact with one of its long-distance surveillance drones off the northwest coast on Tuesday. The uncrewed RQ-4B Global Hawk, also known as the Global Hawk, disappeared from radar and was last seen 50 kilometers off the coast of Tottori. The Air Self-Defense Force did not disclose the mission details of the drone.

Japan owns three Global Hawks, deployed at Misawa Air Base in Aomori. These drones are valuable for long-range missions and can fly at 60,000 feet for up to 36 hours. Japan is modernizing its defense strategies, including drone use, to counter China's growing assertiveness. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is preparing new security and defense strategies, planned to be released later this year.