- Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara called for stronger countermeasures against drones.
- This comes after a video was posted on Chinese social media showing a Japanese aircraft carrier at a restricted military port near Tokyo.
- The video led to an investigation and it was confirmed that it was likely filmed by a drone.
Japan’s defense secretary on Friday called for stronger anti-drone capabilities after drone footage posted on Chinese social media showed a Japanese aircraft carrier anchored at a restricted military port west of Tokyo. I called out. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said this was a serious security threat.
Kihara acknowledged this vulnerability because the destroyer Izumo, one of Japan’s two helicopter carriers, is used to strengthen Japan’s counterattack capabilities in the face of China’s assertive military action. This comes more than a month after a drone video of the aircraft being modified to carry a stealth fighter jet. Indo-Pacific.
The footage, which also shows factories, buildings and other facilities at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Yokosuka Naval Base, was posted on Chinese social media sites in March, sparking an investigation by ministry officials. This footage has also been posted on other platforms such as X.
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“After video analysis, we came to the conclusion that this footage was most likely taken by a drone in flight,” Kihara told reporters.
On November 6, 2022, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter aircraft carrier Izumo and other warships participated in the international ship review ceremony held in Sagami Bay, south of Tokyo. Japan’s defense chief called for strengthening anti-drone capabilities. Drone video posted on Chinese social media sites showed a Japanese aircraft carrier anchored at a restricted military port west of Tokyo. (via Kyodo News AP, file)
The minister added: “We take the findings of this investigation extremely seriously.” “If drones damage defense facilities, they could cause serious disruption to our nation’s defenses.”
Kihara declined to comment on how the drone was able to fly undetected over the flat sky, citing safety reasons. But he stressed the need to keep pace with rapid technological advances in drones and other unmanned vehicles. He also vowed to strengthen defenses around military bases.
He said Japan would accelerate efforts to introduce more sophisticated anti-drone equipment and strengthen countermeasures such as forced landings of drones through jamming.
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The development comes at a time when Japan is accelerating its military buildup, with an emphasis on long-range missile counter-attack capabilities under the Continuing Security Strategy adopted in 2022. The destroyer Izumo plays an important role in that strategy.
In 2015, a small drone with radioactive traces was discovered on the roof of the prime minister’s office, raising concerns about drones and their potential use in terrorist attacks. There were no injuries or damages as a result of the incident, but the owner was found guilty of obstruction of business.
Since then, drone flights have been restricted over major public and diplomatic areas and nuclear power facilities. Drones are widely used for industrial, search and rescue, and security purposes, but the number of violations caused by drones is also rapidly increasing.
