UAV Development & Drone Programs Aviation Accidents and Incidents Asia-Pacific (APAC)

Japan confirms loss of RQ-4B Global Hawk in Sea of Japan

Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force confirmed that one of its three Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawks crashed in the Sea of Japan off Tottori Prefecture after the service lost contact on Sept. 15. The accident is the tenth reported loss of a Global Hawk variant.

Discovered 2026-09-15T03:36:53.527270-07:00 | 2026-09-15T03:36:53.527270-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The loss removes one of Japan’s three RQ-4B Global Hawks, reducing the service’s high-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed surveillance capacity.
The crash is the tenth reported loss of a Global Hawk variant, making fleet reliability and accident investigation material considerations for operators and program stakeholders.
The incident occurred over the Sea of Japan, underscoring the operational importance of Japan’s airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reported By

FlightGlobal The Aviationist Aviation Week