Japan’s Defense Ministry will enhance its maritime situational awareness with new uncrewed surveillance aircraft deployed over waters surrounding the nation. The move comes as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) increases its presence in the vast region, including near the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, a rocky outcropping in the East China Sea administered by Japan but claimed by the People’s Republic of China.
Japan uses three of the United States-made SeaGuardian MQ-9B drone aircraft and plans to buy 23 more in the next decade or so, the Defense Ministry reported in mid-November 2024. The drones will conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The aircraft is more efficient than similarly configured, crewed surveillance planes. Manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the SeaGuardian burns 90% less fuel, requires half as many personnel to operate and can remain aloft longer.
Nearly 12 meters long with a 24-meter wingspan, it can fly nonstop on ISR missions for about 24 hours with a range of 4,800 kilometers, or more than the distance between Japan and the Philippines, the Japan Forward website reported. The drone’s camera and radar can gather information on shipping traffic day and night.
Tokyo decided to buy the drones after the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted test flights from Hachinohe Air Base in Aomori prefecture, according to NHK World, Japan’s public media agency.
Each aircraft costs about $77 million, with the first scheduled for delivery by 2028, NHK World reported. About $164 million for related expenses is included in the Defense Ministry’s fiscal year 2025 budget request, The Japan Times newspaper reported.
The Japan Coast Guard has used the three SeaGuardians since 2022. Plans call for the next wave of remotely piloted aircraft to perform surveillance over the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft are expected to enhance search and rescue, disaster response, and maritime law enforcement.
Tokyo is bolstering its maritime security capabilities, including boosting its Coast Guard budget and forming a maritime group for rapid troop transportation, amid persistent territorial incursions by Chinese vessels. Beijing’s claims to the Senkakus have no basis under international law but are fueled by its economic ambitions in the resource-rich waters, analysts say.
Acquisition of the additional drones aligns with Japan’s collaboration with Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The Allies and Partners announced in September 2024 that they are “exploring opportunities to improve interoperability of their maritime autonomous systems as an initial area of cooperation,” The Japan Times reported.
The JMSDF also plans to deploy surface, amphibious and underwater vehicles over the next decade, combining the assets with artificial intelligence and crewed equipment, according to the Japan Defense Ministry’s 2024 white paper.
