Tokyo, Sept. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force said that it lost contact with a Global Hawk surveillance drone over waters some 50 kilometers off the coast of Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Debris believed to be from an aircraft has been found in nearby waters, according to a Japanese Coast Guard source. The ASDF is investigating the incident. The coast guard source said that a JCG plane found the debris during a search for the drone following a distress signal shortly after 2 p.m. No damage to vessels has been confirmed. According to the ASDF website, the U.S.-made unmanned aircraft has a wingspan of about 40 meters and a length of around 15 meters. It can fly at speeds of up to 570 km per hour for up to around 36 hours at a time while being remotely controlled from the ground. Three Global Hawk drones are deployed at the ASDF’s Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, and are operated by an aerial reconnaissance unit at the base to constantly monitor Japanese airspace. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
