The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has expanded its fleet of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) by ordering two additional SeaGuardian drones from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), with delivery expected in 2025. These UAVs will be equipped with the advanced Optix+ software suite, which utilizes sensor fusion to collect and analyze data from the drones’ sensors and other sources, providing a comprehensive operational overview.
This latest acquisition builds on the JCG’s earlier agreements with GA-ASI. Since April 2022, the JCG has operated SeaGuardians under a Company-Owned, Contractor-Operated (COCO) arrangement, conducting extensive Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) operations over the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean from the Hachinohe Air Base. The success of these missions prompted the JCG to further enhance its capabilities, adding two more SeaGuardians in May 2023, which were notably utilized during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima and in search and rescue efforts after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
The new SeaGuardians will be based at Kitakyushu Airport in Fukuoka Prefecture, marking a transition from Hachinohe Air Base as the JCG’s lease concludes in March 2025. Sojitz Corporation, which is responsible for delivering and supporting these UAVs, emphasized its ongoing commitment to bolstering Japan’s maritime safety and security.
These UAVs come equipped with Raytheon’s SeaVue radar, advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), enhancing the JCG’s maritime patrol and rescue missions. Sojitz Corporation, a longtime supplier to the JCG, will continue providing support through delivery and maintenance of these UAVs.
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