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Japan weighs using drones to chase away foreign aircraft
Scrambling manned jets becomes costly as frequency rises
Scrambling fighter jets has become costly for Japan as the Chinese military steps up activity in the East China Sea. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
SHUNSUKE SHIGETA, Nikkei staff writerMarch 5, 2023 01:24 JST
TOKYO -- Japan's Self-Defense Forces are considering sending drones instead of manned jets to intercept foreign aircraft approaching its sovereign airspace.
The SDF will first test drones in drills to chase warships as soon as this year, seeking to gauge performance and functionality.
The move comes as China and Russia step up the use of drones, as well as rising incidents of foreign aircraft come near or enter Japan's airspace.
The SDF scrambled jets to respond to approaching foreign aircraft a record 1,004 times in fiscal 2021. As the Chinese military increases operations near Japanese airspace, the frequency of such maneuvers has increased, as has the cost. It also creates an added burden on SDF personnel.
An alleged Chinese spy balloon was spotted over the U.S. this year, prompting discussions in Japan on how to respond to incursions by unmanned aircraft. Meanwhile, Chinese military drones have repeatedly entered Taiwan airspace since August 2022.
Sending warnings to drones from manned aircraft is useless. Private estimates show scrambling manned jets costs 40 times more than sending drones.
The first step is to conduct training to use drones to identify foreign warships. If successful, the SDF will adopt drones for operations involving fast-moving aircraft.
The SDF is considering purchasing the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 or the U.S.-developed MQ-9 Reaper.
The goal is to send drones to identify the encroaching aircraft's model and specifications. If the threat of attack is deemed high, the SDF would send manned aircraft in response.
The use of drones forms a key strategy in Japan's three national security documents updated at the end of last year.
Japan sees the use of drones as a "game changer" that would reduce risks to SDF personnel. U.S. and Iranian drones have been used in the war in Ukraine.
The SDF has seen its ranks fall below the 247,000 needed to fill existing positions even as additional personnel need to be recruited for new areas such as cybersecurity. Maintaining defense capabilities with a limited personnel has become imperative.
