Japan to Tighten Rules on Drone Flights near Key Facilities

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency aims to submit a bill to tighten rules on drone flights near key facilities based on a report by an expert team released Thursday. The team proposed expanding the no-fly zones to about 1,000 meters around such facilities and imposing penalties immediately on violators, according to the report, compiled following discussions to boost security measures amid a rapid spread of drones and an improvement in their performance. The agency hopes to submit a bill to revise the drone flight regulation law at next year’s ordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament. In principle, the current law prohibits drone flights over the premises of designated important facilities such as government buildings and nuclear power plants, calling such areas “red zone.” It also stipulates “yellow zone” within about 300 meters of such facilities, where drone flights are banned. The rules apply to 470 designated facilities nationwide, including Self-Defense Forces bases and airports. The number of drones registered with the transport ministry stood at some 350,000 as of the end of September. Some drones can carry up to 30 kilograms and fly at a speed of up to 150 kilometers per hour. Recognizing an increasing possibility that drones may be used for malicious purposes such as terrorism, the team had been discussing countermeasures. The report said that the yellow zone should be expanded given improvements in drone speeds and distances over which remote control is possible. In order to secure time to respond, the report said that a range of about 1,000 meters is appropriate for the yellow zone. It also called for consideration for private-sector drone use, referring to the need to provide the public with information on the no-fly zones. For yellow zone violations, penalties are generally limited to cases in which offenders do not follow police instructions. But the report said that penalties should be applied immediately, just like for red zone violations, although different penalties should be established. The expert team sees the need to address threats from remote locations considering that some drones are equipped with guns and can shoot. The report also included proposals to expand the periods during which drone flights can be prohibited around venues of international meetings and add as designated key facilities venues where important figures gather regularly. Also proposed was the establishment of a government council bringing together officials of related agencies to discuss measures to respond to further improvements in drone technologies and military drones. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]