無人機、鹿児島で試験運用へ　海自、東シナ海監視で４月から

　木原稔防衛相は１６日の記者会見で、海上自衛隊の鹿屋航空基地（鹿児島県鹿屋市）で４月から無人機「シーガーディアン」を試験運用すると発表した。無人機による東シナ海の警戒監視任務の検証が目的で、「試験的運用を通して得られる知見を活用し、将来の本格導入に向けてさらに検討を進めていきたい」と説明した。（2024/02/16-10:32）

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Friday announced plans to conduct trial operations of the SeaGuardian unmanned aircraft at a Maritime Self-Defense Force base in southwestern Japan from April.
   The trial is aimed at verifying the aircraft's performance in surveillance missions over the East China Sea.
   "Leveraging the know-how we will accumulate through the trial operations, we will hold further discussions on the full-fledged deployment (of the SeaGuardian) in the future, Kihara said at a press conference.
   In the trial operations at the MSDF's Kanoya air base in the city of Kanoya in Kagoshima Prefecture, the unmanned aircraft will conduct takeoffs and landings about three times in April-June, and surveillance activities over the East China Sea about three times in July-September.
   The MSDF has been testing the SeaGuardian at its Hachinohe air base in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, since May last year.