Japan loses contact with a surveillance drone off the country's northwestern coast

Japan lost contact with an RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone, last seen about 50 km (31 miles) off Tottori — one of three based at Misawa Air Base.
The high-altitude drone can fly around 60,000 ft for up to 36 hours, making it valuable for long-range monitoring of places like North Korea and China.
The loss comes amid Japan’s push to double defense spending and expand drone and AI capabilities under a new five-year plan, a buildup criticized by Beijing.