Japan includes drones in new rules for downing flying objects
- Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said drones would be regarded as conceivable targets in new steps to ‘defend the lives and properties of Japanese people’
- The government is planning to relax requirements for shooting down UFOs after several – suspected to be Chinese spy balloons – were spotted over Japan
Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Friday that drones would be included as conceivable targets once the government eases rules for weapon use by the Self-Defence Forces against unidentified flying objects violating the nation’s airspace.
The government is planning to relax the requirements on the scenarios in which the SDF can shoot down an unidentified flying object after several – which the Defence Ministry suspect were unstaffed Chinese spy balloons – were spotted over Japan in recent years.
By taking steps such as easing the conditions of weapon use, Japan will be in a position to ease “growing fears” that unidentified flying objects such as drones and balloons are intruding into the country’s territorial skies, Hamada said at a press conference.
“To defend the lives and properties of Japanese people and safeguard our nation’s sovereignty, we will respond more strictly” to unidentified flying objects to “eliminate risks for commercial flights,” Hamada added.
Japan may relax rules for shooting down spy balloons after China incursions
On Thursday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and its junior coalition partner Komeito endorsed the easing of rules regarding the use of weapons, and this is expected to be realised by modifying operational use rather than a revision of the law.
Hamada also said his ministry will conduct necessary reviews of related regulations “appropriately and quickly”.
