Japan has chosen the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone for its long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) requirement within months of India signing an agreement to purchase these cutting-edge drones for its Navy.
The latest announcement comes after extensive trials conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF). The service has reportedly been using SeaGuardian since May 2023 as part of its Medium-Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) RPA System Trial Operations Project.
JMSDF used the SeaGuardian to assess whether it can replace some of the operations currently carried out by manned aircraft, among other things.
GA-ASI said in a press release that it has “strengthened its Maritime Wide Area Surveillance (MWAS) for Japan with Optix+, which gathers information from the SeaGuardian sensors, as well as other data sources, displaying the full picture of surveillance information for its operator. This functionality makes it easy to task and direct its Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) information in real-time.”
It further added that “GA-ASI’s Optix+ software suite rapidly correlates and exploits collected data into an easily shared common operational picture. Having multi-source correlated data enables automatic detection of anomalous behaviors over waters.”
Last month, media reports indicated that Japan had decided to acquire the drone and was contemplating purchasing 23 MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones over the next ten years to strengthen surveillance in the contentious East China Sea. Notably, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) launched a tender to acquire a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV, and the SeaGuardian was the only drone that participated.
The Japanese Coast Guard already uses the MQ-9 B. In August this year, the Coast Guard formally signed an agreement to purchase two Sea Guardian drones. These drones will be delivered to the Coast Guard next year, in addition to the three MQ-9Bs leased from General Atomics since April 2022.
Japan’s announcement comes just two months after India’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract to purchase 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian high altitude, long endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) after a long period of anticipation.
Of these, 15 Sea Guardians have been earmarked for the Navy, whereas the Sky Guardians will be split between the Army and the Air Force. With this, Japan and India have joined countries like the US, the UK, and Belgium in operating the MQ-9B.
The acquisition and use of the MQ-9B would make it easier for the JMSDF to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations over its large maritime domain, especially in the wake of China’s persistent threat.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has ramped up its military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea. In August this year, a Chinese Y-9 spy plane entered Japanese airspace in an unprecedented development. Though China explained that it was unintentional, it has left a lasting impression on Tokyo. A few days later, a Chinese aircraft carrier entered Japan’s contiguous waters for the first time.
The relationship between Japan and China is fraught with tensions over territorial disputes. The East China Sea’s Senkaku Islands, which are governed by Japan and claimed by China, has long been a source of tension between the two Asian neighbors, and Chinese coast guard ships have frequently entered Japanese territorial seas near the uninhabited islets.
During his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Peru, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed “serious concerns” about the East China Sea situation and the “intensification of Chinese military activities.”
MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones
The MQ-9B is 11.7 meters long, 24 meters wide, and has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,670 kilograms. MQ-9B SeaGuardian uses “bolt-on/bolt-off” maritime sensors, has an operating altitude of 40,000 feet, a maximum speed of 210 kilometers, and a maximum range of 6,000 nautical miles.
According to General Atomics, “SeaGuardian is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for over 30 hours (depending on configuration) in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain—day or night.”
This extremely adaptable maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft may easily incorporate electronic support measures, a self-contained anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission kit, an automatic identification system, and a centerline wide-area maritime radar. SeaGuardian is the first RPAS in its class to provide real-time search and patrol above and below the ocean’s surface and integrate the most cutting-edge maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
The SeaGuardian can easily carry out anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), border surveillance and law enforcement. It can carry two to four sonobuoy dispensers under its wings for ASW missions and internally carry a sonobuoy receiver and processor.
“Using GA-ASI’s first-of-its-kind Detect and Avoid System and Certifiable Ground Control Station, SeaGuardian seamlessly integrates with normal air traffic just like other commercial aircraft. SeaGuardian’s remote flight station gives operators a similar, if not better, air traffic picture than the cockpit of human-crewed aircraft,” states the GA-ASI website.
Japan’s acquisition of this platform would thus bolster its defense against regional threats like China, Russia, and North Korea.
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