Starting in late October, US Air Force will temporarily deploy eight MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Kanoya Air Base

Amid North Korea’s continuous missile tests, Japan’s Defence Ministry announced that the US Air Force will temporarily deploy eight MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan.

The Reaper will be deployed to Japan for the first time due to the American commitment to Japan's protection. Given the increase in active maritime actions by neighbouring nations like China and Russia and hostile missile tests by North Korea, the MoD believes that the UAVs will improve maritime surveillance around Japan and contribute to the island nation's security.

The Reapers are expected to be deployed at the base for a full year. According to an official in charge of the deployment, 150 and 200 US service personnel would remain in Kanoya City to operate the medium-altitude and long-endurance (MALE) surveillance aircraft.

In a statement, the MoD said that the temporary deployment of the UAVs is intended to conduct intelligence-gathering operations in seas close to Japan, with a central focus on the East China Sea. This statement was made in an apparent reference to China's growing assertiveness in the area, particularly around the disputed Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands, which are controlled by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing and Taiwan.

After their initial meetings in Washington on 14 September, Japan's Defence Minister Hamada Yasukazu and the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a joint statement in which they "welcomed the progress towards the temporary deployment of USAF MQ-9s to JMSDF Kanoya Air Base."

In particular, according to Hamada, the temporary deployment of MQ-9s advances the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations of Japan's Self-Defence Forces.

Tokyo is working to improve the military capabilities on Japan's southwest Nansei island chain, which extends for nearly 1,200 km from Kagoshima to Okinawa and stretches southwest toward Taiwan, as Beijing increases its activity in the East China Sea.

The deployment of UAVs to monitor North Korean operations, especially its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, is conceivable.

The Reaper has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,760 kg, a payload capacity of 1,701 kg, a cruise speed of 200 knots (370 km/h), a range of 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km), a service ceiling of 50,000 feet and an endurance capacity of 27 hours.