Japan Air Self-Defense Force RQ-4B Global Hawk drone lost contact off the coast of Tottori, search and rescue ongoing

RQ-4B "Global Hawk". (AP)

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's RQ-4B "Global Hawk" high-altitude reconnaissance drone was reported to have lost contact this afternoon (15th). Relevant units are conducting an emergency search. It is now reported that some suspected aircraft wreckage has been found off the coast of Tottori Prefecture.

According to Japanese media reports, an RQ-4B Global Hawk drone of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force lost communication at 12:58 noon today over the sea area about 50 kilometers away from the sea off Tottori Prefecture. The Sea Self-Defense Agency, the Air Self-Defense Agency, and the Coast Guard launched a search. At around 5 p.m., the Japan Coast Guard stated that while a Coast Guard aircraft was conducting an air patrol and search, an object suspected to be part of the Global Hawk was discovered off the coast of Tottori Prefecture.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said: "Currently, we have received reports that the Self-Defense Forces and Coast Guard are conducting searches. So far, there have been no reports of damage to personnel or facilities outside the Self-Defense Forces. We believe that the top priority at present is to search for the aircraft body."

Air China stated that this was the first time that the high-altitude reconnaissance drone "Global Hawk" lost contact. Air China owns three "Global Hawks" and has been deployed at the Misawa Base in Aomori Prefecture since 2022. When asked whether training was underway when communication was lost, Aviation Chief of Staff Yuhiro Morita replied: "It was not training at the time." However, when asked whether he was performing some kind of mission such as alert surveillance at the time, he did not disclose the details.

Japan's "Global Hawk" mysteriously disappeared off the coast of Tottori! Air Force confirmed that it was "not training" and refused to disclose the mission.