The Air Self-Defense Force lost contact with one of its pricey unmanned Global Hawk drones as it was being operated off the coast of Tottori Prefecture on Tuesday, the ASDF said. A search involving ASDF, Maritime Self-Defense Force and Japan Coast Guard aircraft and vessels was currently under way for the drone in international waters approximately 50 kilometers north of the Tottori coast. An apparent piece of the drone was spotted floating in the sea off the coast of Tottori by the coast guard, NHK reported.
The aircraft, which is stationed with the ASDF’s two other Global Hawk drones at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, disappeared from radar around 1 p.m. The drone’s mission was not immediately clear, but China has in recent years repeatedly sent its own drones into the skies above the waters of the Sea of Japan. The Global Hawk is a massive long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance drone measuring 40 meters wide and 15 meters long that can stay in the air for upwards of 30 hours.
Japan purchased three of the drones together with associated equipment, parts and logistical support from the U.S. in 2015 for an estimated $1.2 billion, though operating costs have meant an even higher price tag.
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