Japan has embarked on a plan to acquire the Global Hawk—a high-altitude, long-distance unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft—from the United States to enhance the Japanese Self-Defense Forces’ (JSDF) ability to collect information.

The RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the United States Air Force and Navy and the German Air Force as a surveillance aircraft.

The planned introduction of the cutting-edge drone would bolster Japan’s intelligence capabilities, enabling it to more effectively cope with the increased pressure by China over the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, according to government and Liberal Democratic Party sources.

The Global Hawk would also enhance the JSDF’s ability to gather information on North Korea, which has pushed ahead with programmes to develop ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, the sources said.