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Japan Air Self-Defense Force RQ-4 Global Hawk drone crashes into Sea of Japan
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On Tuesday, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system crashed into the Sea of Japan, approximately 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture in western Honshu. The drone, assigned to the 502nd Squadron of the Air Warning Wing at JASDF Misawa Air Base, took off at 10:20 a.m. local time. A communication failure occurred around 12:55 p.m., after which the drone disappeared from radar. The JASDF announced the loss of the reconnaissance drone, but no further details on the cause of the crash or any potential casualties have been released. The incident is under investigation.
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# News Article
**Publication Date:** September 16, 2026
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Japan Air Self-Defense Force Global Hawk drone crashes into Sea of Japan off Tottori coast