Air Self-Defense Force Global Hawk loses communications over the coast of Tottori Prefecture, presumed to have crashed
Quick Look
- On the afternoon of the 15th, communication with the Air Self-Defense Force's large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk was lost in the skies off the coast of Tottori Prefecture, and the ASDF is investigating the cause, assuming it crashed.
- Part of the aircraft was found at sea nearby, and no damage to the ship was confirmed.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has introduced the U.S. Global Hawk and is operating it at Misawa Air Base in order to strengthen its ability to constantly monitor its airspace.
Around 1 p.m. on the 15th, communications with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk were lost about 50 kilometers off the coast of Tottori Prefecture. Part of the aircraft was found in the sea nearby. The ASDF announced that it was ``estimated that the aircraft crashed,'' and is investigating the cause of the crash.
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According to the ASDF, the Global Hawk took off from Misawa Air Base (Aomori Prefecture) at around 10:20 a.m. A communication failure occurred at 12:55 p.m., and the ship's track disappeared from radar three minutes later.
Part of the aircraft was discovered by a Japan Coast Guard patrol boat that was searching the sea after receiving a distress alert off the coast of Tottori Prefecture just after 2 p.m. No damage to ships or other equipment has been confirmed.
The ASDF says it was not training, but did not reveal the specific purpose of the flight.
The Global Hawk is made in the United States and has a total length of about 15 meters and a wingspan of about 40 meters. It can cruise at a maximum speed of approximately 570 km/h and can fly continuously for 36 hours with radio control from the ground. The aircraft were acquired in fiscal 2015 at a cost of approximately 17 billion yen per aircraft to strengthen the ability to constantly monitor airspace. Three aircraft are deployed at Misawa Air Base and operated by the Reconnaissance Air Corps.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Investigation and publication of the cause of the crash by the ASDF
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the detailed cause of communication disruption?
- What was the purpose of the aircraft at that time?
