A Japanese "Global Hawk" drone has gone missing near the coast, sparking concern as three such drones have been lost, accounting for one-third of the total.

Drone Lost, Japan Loses One-Third of Its "Global Hawks"

On the 15th, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) issued a statement saying that one of Japan's "Global Hawk" drones went missing approximately 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture. The Self-Defense Forces have dispatched aircraft and ships to conduct search operations. However, regarding what mission the drone was carrying out on that day, Japan has revealed no details.

From Japan's tight-lipped stance, it can be inferred that this Global Hawk was likely not on a training flight but rather conducting reconnaissance—50 kilometers north of Tottori lies the Sea of Japan, and positioning such a long-endurance, high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft there makes its intent clear.

Naturally, if this Global Hawk has indeed crashed into the sea, it would be a significant blow to Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Japan has purchased only three Global Hawks in total, with a contract value of about $490 million—when accounting for ground stations, personnel training, satellite links, and years of maintenance costs, the actual expenditure is even higher.

It is worth noting that the Global Hawk has long been notorious for its high accident rate. In earlier reports, it was stated that the crash rate per flight hour of the Global Hawk far exceeds that of the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet, earning it the nickname from the U.S. Air Force as "the most accident-prone aircraft."

In short, Japan spent heavily to acquire this strategic surveillance asset, and its first disappearance occurred right off Japan’s own coast. Whether or not the wreckage is ever recovered, the ASDF and the Ministry of Defense will have a lot of explaining to do.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876395297887244/

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