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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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Japan has reportedly deployed a coast guard drone acquired from its key security ally, the United States, amid China's growing maritime presence around a disputed group of islands.
The uninhabited islet group in the East China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, is administered by Japan but claimed by China as part of its territory, which is known as the Diaoyu Islands.
Newsweek reached out to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which oversees the Japan Coast Guard, as well as China's Foreign Ministry, via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
China maintains a steady presence of coast guard vessels, often armed with autocannons, around the Senkaku Islands, asserting its sovereignty claims. It operates the largest maritime law enforcement fleet in the world, with over 150 vessels displacing more than 1,000 tons.
The Senkaku Islands, part of Japan's southwestern islands, are along the First Island Chain—a defensive line that extends from Japan to the Philippines via Taiwan—under a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting China's military activity in the event of war.
Following his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in February, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated America's opposition to any action that seeks to undermine Japan's "longstanding and peaceful administration" of the Senkaku Islands.
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What To Know
Citing sources familiar with Japan-China relations, Kyodo News reported on Monday that the Japan Coast Guard has deployed the MQ-9B SeaGuardian, an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by U.S. defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, around the Senkaku Islands on several occasions since April to monitor Chinese coast guard vessels.
The deployment of the drone appears intended to demonstrate Japan's resolve not to tolerate any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea, the report said.
The drone may be tasked with issuing "aerial warnings" to Chinese ships not to enter Japan's territorial waters, which extend 13.8 miles from the coastline, according to the report.
The SeaGuardian is designed to provide persistent maritime domain awareness, capable of conducting real-time search and patrol, according to its manufacturer. It can fly continuously for over 30 hours, helping to protect Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.
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A fleet of three SeaGuardian drones is in service with the Japan Coast Guard, Kyodo News said, with an additional two set to join the fleet during the fiscal year through March 2026.
"We are building a surveillance system that efficiently utilizes unmanned aircraft, airplanes, and helicopters," the Japan Coast Guard said in a report. As of April 1, the service operates 147 patrol vessels, 35 planes, and 60 helicopters, in addition to the SeaGuardian fleet.
What People Are Saying
The Japan Coast Guard, in its 2025 report: "The [China Coast Guard] vessels are confirmed to have become larger, armed, and reinforced, so the situation concerning around Senkaku Islands has become increasingly serious."
China's Foreign Ministry's website: "Diaoyu [Island] and its affiliated islands are an inseparable part of the Chinese territory. Diaoyu [Island] is China's inherent territory in all historical, geographical and legal terms, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over Diaoyu [Island]."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how Japan will enhance its coast guard presence around the Senkaku Islands and in the East China Sea, where China has been observed conducting controversial maritime activities.
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