Japan receives first RQ-4B Global Hawk
The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) received its first RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 13 March.
The delivery was made 11 months after the first of three RQ-4 Block 30i high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) aircraft ordered by Japan made its maiden flight in Palmdale, California, on April 15 2021.
In a statement the JASDF said that the RQ-4Bs are being “introduced for the purpose of gathering information on regions relatively far from Japan and will constantly conduct aerial monitoring when the situation becomes tense. The aircraft will contribute to the strengthening of the operational ability of the Air Self-Defense Force and strengthen interoperability between Japan and the United States”.
Images of the aircraft posted by JASDF show it carrying temporary US Air Force markings. Japanese lawmakers passed legislation in April 2020 to establish an RQ-4 squadron at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan.
