A viral video purporting to show overhead drone footage of Japan’s largest destroyer has raised grave concerns about the ability of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to detect potential threats.
The footage of the JS Izumo was first posted on Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili. Japan’s Defense Ministry said May 9 it has determined the video appears authentic and that a drone likely flew over Yokosuka naval base to film the destroyer.
An account on X, formerly Twitter, made by a person claiming to have taken the drone footage has since posted additional videos purporting to show the USS Ronald Reagan, the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked at Yokosuka, as well as an Aegis destroyer.
Japanese law bans unauthorized flights of unmanned aerial vehicles near critical facilities. Along with JSDF and U.S. military bases, the prohibition applies to the prime minister’s office, nuclear reactors and other sensitive sites that could be targeted by terrorist attacks or espionage activities.
Areas above sensitive facilities are designated as “red zones,” while areas within about a 300-meter radius of the facilities are called “yellow zones.”
Drones caught flying above a sensitive facility can be forced to land by JSDF officers safeguarding the facility. Police are authorized to order drones the leave yellow zones. If no police are nearby, then JSDF officers would deal with the breach.
These responses to unauthorized flights are predicated on the drone being identified while still approaching. Japan has not publicized whether the drone that allegedly filmed the Izumo was detected in advance, due to an unwillingness to divulge security capabilities. But according to a source, there is no evidence that the drone was detected entering the base.
The JSDF’s monitoring and surveillance capabilities are focused on the interior of its bases, not on activities outside the installations. Police have not established procedures to constantly monitor areas outside bases.
This appears to leave a gray area of who is responsible for protecting the site in such cases as when a drone operator launches the drone while hiding outside the base.
The Izumo “could be put out of commission for five to six years,” a senior Defense Ministry official said.
The JSDF has jamming equipment that could disrupt the flight of drones, but the frequency bands used to pilot drones overlap with frequencies used for wireless communication purposes. It is not a realistic option to constantly jam signals, especially next to urban areas.
Though nuclear power plants are protected by law against unauthorized drone flights, the facilities are at risk against sudden drone attacks. A layer of security is provided either by the local police, who lack the capabilities of the JSDF to monitor threats, or by the power companies or civilian contractors.
