Latest news with #MQ-9BSeaGuardian
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japan deploys large drone over Senkakus Islands amid China ship intrusions
Photo shows a MQ-9B SeaGuardian deployed to monitor the area around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Japan is using a large coast guard drone, the SeaGuardian, to monitor the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea amid repeated incursions into nearby waters by Chinese vessels, sources familiar with bilateral relations said Monday. The use of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian, a U.S.-made remotely piloted aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art radar, is expected to help beef up security in Japan's territorial waters off the uninhabited islets, encompassing a vast area of about 4,740 square kilometers. China Coast Guard ships regularly sail near the Senkakus, administered by Japan but claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu. They were spotted on 355 days in 2024, marking a record high since the Japanese government put the islets under state control in 2012. The operation of the drone is apparently intended to showcase Japan's resolve not to tolerate any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea. The sources said the SeaGuardian has flown over the Senkakus several times since April, surveilling Chinese coast guard ships and capturing images. It may be tasked with issuing aerial warnings to Chinese vessels not to enter Japan's territorial waters, according to the sources. The Japan Coast Guard has not disclosed the drone operations around the Senkakus. The SeaGuardian, about 12 meters long with a wingspan of 24 meters, is steered by pilots at a ground operation center. Images and other data collected by the drone are checked by coast guard officers, who also issue instructions. The Japan Coast Guard is currently operating three SeaGuardian drones, with two more to be added during the fiscal year through March 2026. The SeaGuardian has been introduced for surveillance missions in the East China Sea, the Pacific, and the Sea of Japan, and is also deployed for maritime distress and disaster response. Manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the aircraft can fly continuously for more than 24 hours. In a single flight, it can complete a full circuit of the outer perimeter of Japan's exclusive economic zone. The Japan Coast Guard began operating the SeaGuardian at a Maritime Self-Defense Force air base in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, but moved its base to Kitakyushu Airport in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in January to prepare for full-scale operations. © KYODO
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Govt Eyes Drones for Coastal Defense by Fiscal 2027; New Initiative Dubbed ‘SHIELD' Will Operate on Air, Sea and Underwater
The Defense Ministry has decided to establish a new initiative to use unmanned vehicles in the air, at sea and underwater for coastal defense by fiscal 2027, according to government sources. Called 'SHIELD,' the plan seeks to deter foreign forces attempting to invade Japan, according to the sources. As unmanned vehicles can be introduced in large numbers due to being relatively inexpensive, the ministry aims to establish a cost-effective defense system. Under the plan, unmanned aircraft will be launched from naval vessels, with unmanned surface vessels and unmanned submarines to intercept enemy ships on the water and underwater, respectively. Small unmanned aircraft will be launched from land to attack enemy ships approaching the coast. The ministry also plans to begin experiments on introducing a control system to manage the simultaneous operation of a large number of unmanned vehicles. In April, the ministry set up a team to examine future combat methods, including the use of unmanned vehicles, and has been considering approaches how to attack and conduct reconnaissance against targets. In light of the large-scale deployment of unmanned vehicles in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the ministry has determined that the establishment of a multi-layered defense system including such vehicles is an urgent priority. Separately from the SHIELD initiative, the ministry is also advancing research on AI-equipped unmanned aircraft to support the next-generation fighter jets being jointly developed with Britain and Italy. It plans to acquire the U.S.-made 'MQ-9B SeaGuardian' as an unmanned aircraft designed for long-endurance flights for maritime surveillance. The ministry intends to include the costs required for the initiative in its budget request for the next fiscal year.
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Japan deploys large drone over Senkakus Islands amid China ship intrusions
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is using a large coast guard drone, the SeaGuardian, to monitor the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea amid repeated incursions into nearby waters by Chinese vessels, sources familiar with bilateral relations said Monday. The use of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian, a U.S.-made remotely piloted aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art radar, is expected to help beef up security in Japan's territorial waters off the uninhabited islets, encompassing a vast area of about 4,740 square kilometers. China Coast Guard ships regularly sail near the Senkakus, administered by Japan but claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu. They were spotted on 355 days in 2024, marking a record high since the Japanese government put the islets under state control in 2012. The operation of the drone is apparently intended to showcase Japan's resolve not to tolerate any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea. The sources said the SeaGuardian has flown over the Senkakus several times since April, surveilling Chinese coast guard ships and capturing images. It may be tasked with issuing aerial warnings to Chinese vessels not to enter Japan's territorial waters, according to the sources. The Japan Coast Guard has not disclosed the drone operations around the Senkakus. The SeaGuardian, about 12 meters long with a wingspan of 24 meters, is steered by pilots at a ground operation center. Images and other data collected by the drone are checked by coast guard officers, who also issue instructions. The Japan Coast Guard is currently operating three SeaGuardian drones, with two more to be added during the fiscal year through March 2026. The SeaGuardian has been introduced for surveillance missions in the East China Sea, the Pacific, and the Sea of Japan, and is also deployed for maritime distress and disaster response. Manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the aircraft can fly continuously for more than 24 hours. In a single flight, it can complete a full circuit of the outer perimeter of Japan's exclusive economic zone. The Japan Coast Guard began operating the SeaGuardian at a Maritime Self-Defense Force air base in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, but moved its base to Kitakyushu Airport in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in January to prepare for full-scale operations.
Japan Today
13-08-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan eyes ¥100 bil budget for defense drone mass deployment
Japan is considering earmarking over 100 billion yen for the fiscal 2026 initial budget for mass deployment of defense drones amid the increasingly severe security environment, government sources said Tuesday. The government may opt to buy low-priced drones made in Turkey, which have been used by Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, so that the aerial devices can be deployed to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as early as possible, according to the sources. The plan in the long term, though, is for Japan to eventually pursue domestic manufacturing, the sources said, adding that to promote such production, a scheme to reinforce supply chains of related parts will be created. The Defense Ministry, which set up a task force in April on how to utilize drones in future combat, is expected to request the budget for the next fiscal year, starting from April, by the end of this month, the sources said. A senior government official said Japan will pursue the policy of "'preferring quantity to quality' and explore a strategy of establishing superiority with the number" of drones. The effectiveness of drones was highlighted in the country's Defense Buildup Program, which was drawn up in 2022. According to the program, the SDF will "expeditiously procure various types of unmanned assets" to "accomplish missions while minimizing human loss." In the current fiscal 2025 budget, 41.5 billion yen was set aside for the deployment of the U.S.-made large drone MQ-9B SeaGuardian for better surveillance operations, and 3.2 billion yen for small offensive drones, amid China's intensifying military activities in the airspace and waters surrounding Japan. In June, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, submitted a proposal to the ministry, saying that the government needs to prepare for "new styles of combat" utilizing drones, drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine. With recent Chinese aircraft violations of Japan's airspace in mind, some LDP lawmakers have said that Japan should use drones to deal with such flights. © KYODO
The Mainichi
13-08-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan eyes 100 bil. yen budget for defense drone mass deployment
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is considering earmarking over 100 billion yen ($670 million) for the fiscal 2026 initial budget for mass deployment of defense drones amid the increasingly severe security environment, government sources said Tuesday. The government may opt to buy low-priced drones made in Turkey, which have been used by Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, so that the aerial devices can be deployed to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as early as possible, according to the sources. The plan in the long term, though, is for Japan to eventually pursue domestic manufacturing, the sources said, adding that to promote such production, a scheme to reinforce supply chains of related parts will be created. The Defense Ministry, which set up a task force in April on how to utilize drones in future combat, is expected to request the budget for the next fiscal year, starting from April, by the end of this month, the sources said. A senior government official said Japan will pursue the policy of "'preferring quantity to quality' and explore a strategy of establishing superiority with the number" of drones. The effectiveness of drones was highlighted in the country's Defense Buildup Program, which was drawn up in 2022. According to the program, the SDF will "expeditiously procure various types of unmanned assets" to "accomplish missions while minimizing human loss." In the current fiscal 2025 budget, 41.5 billion yen was set aside for the deployment of the U.S.-made large drone MQ-9B SeaGuardian for better surveillance operations, and 3.2 billion yen for small offensive drones, amid China's intensifying military activities in the airspace and waters surrounding Japan. In June, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, submitted a proposal to the ministry, saying that the government needs to prepare for "new styles of combat" utilizing drones, drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine. With recent Chinese aircraft violations of Japan's airspace in mind, some LDP lawmakers have said that Japan should use drones to deal with such flights.
