Japan plans to shoot down foreign UAS that intrude into Japanese airspace if warnings for them to leave are ignored, a source close to the government said.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued his approval on Oct. 11 when Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera briefed him on the plan, the source said.
The Defence Ministry has drawn up the plan as a Chinese military UAS intruded into Japan’s air defence identification zone on Sept. 9, approaching the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The plan is aimed at demonstrating Japan’s readiness to respond to any acts that violate its sovereignty, according to the source.
But the government will continue deliberations on how to respond to possible intrusions by drones carrying weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear or biological weapons, as shooting them down could have serious consequences, the source said.
The existing rules for how Air Self-Defence Force fighters should respond to intrusions by manned aircraft mandate that pilots should first issue warnings. Pilots are required to down intruding aircraft if they pose a risk of damage or injury to Japanese nationals after ignoring such warnings.
Japan did not have clear rules for surveillance UAS as such aircraft are seemingly unable to detect warnings to leave Japanese airspace, but after analyzing drones currently being developed by China, the Japanese government has determined that such aircraft are equipped with high-performance camera and radar, and are capable of detecting warnings.
Source: Global Post