‘Not a good sign’: drone footage of Japan warship on Chinese social media sparks concern in Tokyo
- Japan’s defence minister said Tokyo was taking the intrusion ‘extremely seriously’, as he confirmed the footage was real and hadn’t been faked by AI
- Stopping drones from accessing military bases is a challenge, according to experts – even though they could be used for nefarious purposes by an enemy
“It’s not a good sign if a drone can so easily get inside a base because these devices could be used to gather intelligence or signals intelligence,” said Garren Mulloy, an international-relations professor at Daito Bunka University who specialises in security and military issues.
More than six weeks after it appeared online, Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara finally confirmed that the footage was real, dismissing earlier theories that it had been faked using artificial intelligence.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Friday, Kihara said the intrusion posed a serious security threat.
“We are taking the findings extremely seriously,” he said. “If drones harm defence facilities, it could cause serious disruptions to the defence of our country.”