The Japan Air Self Defence Force has taken delivery of the first of three RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) from US defense contractor Northrop Grumman.
The arrival of the first unit was confirmed by the service on March 12, which said the aircraft deployed immediately to the Misawa Air Base, where all three of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms are set to be based.
Northrop Grumman delivered the Global Hawk to Japan after the aircraft’s first flight in April 2021.
By receiving its first system, Japan is joining the United States, Australia, NATO and South Korea as a Global Hawk operator.
Global Hawks will integrate with other Japanese intelligence assets, including ground-based command and control units, to monitor and deter regional threats.
Northrop delivered the UAS to Japan after the country reportedly mulled walking away from the purchase in 2020 in the wake of the US Air Force’s decision to retire its Block 20 and Block 30 Global Hawks in fiscal year 2021. This would have left Japan and South Korea as the only operators of the Block 30 Global Hawks. US lawmakers interfered with the US Air Force’s plans in December 2020, protecting the A-10 and Global Hawk from reductions.
The RQ-4 has a wingspan of 130 feet and provides near-real-time actionable intelligence for more than 30 hours at a time, at altitudes of 60,000 feet or 11 miles high.
The aircraft has been is US Air Force service since 2001 and has amassed more than 250,000 flight hours with missions flown in support of military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa, and the greater Asia-Pacific region.
