Japan’s Coast Guard (JCG) has signed an agreement to purchase two MQ-9B SeaGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft from the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
An announcement was made on August 15, 2024, and the two SeaGuardians are scheduled for delivery in 2025.
Linden Blue, GA-ASI CEO, commented in a press release: “Since JCG started operating SeaGuardians, they have been used for various JCG missions, including supporting search and rescue and disaster response, specifically during the 7.6 magnitude earthquake early this year and maritime surveillance during the 2023 G-7 Summit in Hiroshima.”
The SeaGuardian is a version of the MQ-9B drone designed specifically for maritime missions. It can fly for 24 hours or more and can perform intelligence gathering, ocean monitoring and target identification tasks all at once.
On July 28, 2024, the US Navy held the world’s largest international maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), which involved a showcase of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian’s capabilities.
The drone flew around the Hawaiian Islands for 100 hours, before returning to its base in El Mirage, California. Throughout this exercise, the drone sent live surveillance data and videos to the US Pacific Fleet, helping the team to respond to real-time situations more quickly.
The SeaGuardian drone was equipped with long-distance capabilities for detecting anti-ship missiles and submarines, including a prototype SDS pod capable of deploying 10 A-size sonobuoys.