Japan is worried because UAVs secretly filmed aircraft carriers in the base
May 11, 2024
Tokyo [Japan], May 11: Japanese Ministry of Defense officials said that a video of an unlicensed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) filming close-ups of a moored destroyer "may be real", raising security concerns.
On May 10, NHK reported on a video shared on Chinese social networks in March showing the destroyer JS Izumo anchored at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) base in Yokosuka city. , south of Tokyo.
The Japanese Ministry of National Defense said the video above could be real, after analysts checked the ship's shape, the number on the deck and the surrounding scenery. Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru on May 10 assessed this as a serious case, when the country's defense capacity could be weakened if UAVs caused damage to defense facilities.
Japanese law prohibits flying UAVs over important areas without a license. Violators can be imprisoned for one year or fined 500,000 yen (more than 80 million VND). The incident has made Japanese lawmakers concerned that unlicensed UAVs could "circumvent" the radar system, and asked defense officials to carefully evaluate this situation.
JS Izumo is the largest escort ship of the JMSDF. Officially classified as a multi-role destroyer, the ship's primary mission is as a light aircraft carrier, transporting and serving as an airstrip for helicopters and fighter jets.
The user who posted a video of this ship in March confirmed that this was not footage edited with artificial intelligence (AI). This person posted photos of the UAV's flight route, as well as many other angles with the Izumo ship.
Besides the Japanese ship, the account owner on May 8 also posted a video allegedly showing the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. The video recorded footage of employees maintaining the ship. Yokosuka city officials said that the USS Ronald Reagan was assigned to the US Navy fleet operating in this city, close to the base of Japanese forces, from November 2023 to May 5.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
