Japan receives latest RQ-4B Global Hawk strategic drone under $500m contract

Japan's Air Self-Defence Force has added a new model to its fleet of Global Hawk strategic drones. A third drone was delivered last week, making it the latest.

Here's What We Know

Japan decided to improve its reconnaissance capabilities by ordering three RQ-4B Global Hawk drones from Northrop Grumman in 2015. Deliveries began in 2022. The first RQ-4B took to the skies in late December.

Costing more than $100 million per drone, the roughly $500 million contract also includes flight test support, two ground control stations, spare parts and additional equipment.

The Northrop Grumman drone can carry a payload of more than 1,300kg. It has a cruising range of more than 22,000 km. The RQ-4B Global Hawk is capable of reaching a speed of 637 km/h and an altitude of around 20 km.

Source: @ModJapan_jp