Japan air force begins recovery of crashed Global Hawk drone

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has commenced recovery operations for a U.S.-made RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone that crashed into the sea in mid-September. The aircraft went missing off the coast of Tottori prefecture after experiencing communication difficulties approximately 90 minutes after departing from Misawa Air Base.

Officials have located what appears to be the drone’s fuselage on the seabed at a depth of 200 to 300 meters. Recovery efforts began with a mother ship deploying a remotely operated underwater vehicle to pinpoint the exact location and retrieve debris. The salvage of larger components is expected to take place later in October.

The loss of the drone, valued at approximately 17 billion yen ($107 million), represents a potential setback for Japan’s long-range surveillance capabilities, which are used to monitor North Korea and China. Japanese defense officials are investigating the cause of the crash in coordination with the manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, and the U.S. military. There is currently no indication of foul play.