Air Self-Defense Force's large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk crashes off the coast of Tottori Prefecture

The Air Self-Defense Force's large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk crashed off the coast of Tottori Prefecture on the 15th. Accidents have occurred in the U.S. military in the past, raising questions about the safety of unmanned aircraft, which the Ministry of Defense has placed at the core of its efforts to strengthen warning and surveillance and to promote a "new way of fighting."

The Global Hawk aircraft has an airframe manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the US and an engine manufactured by Rolls-Royce in the UK, and costs approximately 17 billion yen each. According to the U.S. Air Force, it is capable of collecting images and other data at high altitudes for long periods of time, and has a maximum takeoff weight of more than 10 tons. According to ASDF officials, the aircraft is normally operated remotely from Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, and after takeoff can fly autonomously along a pre-programmed route. In case of an emergency, there is also a function to autonomously land at a pre-entered airfield. The maximum operating altitude is said to be approximately 20,000 meters.

However, there is a non-zero risk of loss of control due to communication failure, aircraft malfunction, or operational error. If it collides with an aircraft or crashes onto the ground where there is a residential area, it could lead to a serious accident.

The U.S. military has had a number of Global Hawk accidents in the past. According to the Air Force and US media, the aircraft crashed in California in 2017 and off the coast of Spain the following year. In 2021, it crashed into a farmland in North Dakota in the midwestern United States.

In addition to strengthening defense capabilities on the Pacific side, the Ministry of Defense is emphasizing the introduction of unmanned aircraft as equipment for a ``new way of fighting,'' based on lessons learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the battle between the United States and Iran. This accident is a ``cold water'' on operational safety.

A senior Ministry of Defense official said, ``Unmanned aerial vehicles are indispensable for developing defense capabilities.Learning from this accident, we will take every precaution to ensure safe operation.''