Japan begins recovery of crashed Global Hawk drone from seabed
Japan's air force on Friday began recovery work for a US-made long-range surveillance drone that crashed into the sea last month, as the country gives greater importance to drones in its defence planning.
The uncrewed RQ-4B aircraft, known as the Global Hawk, went missing off the northern coast of Tottori prefecture in mid-September. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force said it later determined that the drone had crashed and spotted what appeared to be its fuselage on the seabed at a depth of about 200 to 300 metres.
The aircraft was one of three Global Hawks operated by Japan's air force. The drones can carry out long-range missions at an altitude of 60,000 feet, or 18 kilometres, and can operate continuously for up to 36 hours. This allows Japan to monitor areas on the Asian mainland, including North Korea and China.
The air force has released few details about the incident. JASDF Chief of Staff Takehiro Morita told reporters earlier this week that Japanese defence officials were working closely with the drone's maker, Northrop Grumman, and the US military in the investigation. Officials said there was no indication of foul play and that the cause of the crash was still being investigated.
The recovery work began on Friday with the arrival of a mother ship, which deployed a remotely operated underwater vehicle to identify the drone's exact location and gather other details, while also recovering debris, the JASDF said. Efforts to retrieve larger parts of the aircraft are expected later in October.
Japanese officials said the drone had trouble connecting with a communication device about 90 minutes after taking off from Misawa Air Base, where it was stationed. Three minutes later, it disappeared from radar and was last seen about 50 kilometres off the coast of Tottori.
The loss of the drone, which cost about 17 billion yen or USD 107 million, could affect Japan's surveillance capability. Morita said the two remaining Global Hawks had been grounded except for necessary missions. Japan has also been revising its defence strategies with a greater focus on drones, artificial intelligence and new methods of warfare.
