The Japanese Ministry of Defense has decided to introduce the SeaGuardian surveillance drone to replace manned patrol aircraft.

The ministry decided Friday to purchase the drone after the Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted test flights from Hachinohe Air Base in the northern Aomori Prefecture.

Manufactured by a US defense company, the 11-metre aircraft is remotely controlled from the ground and is capable of flying for up to 24 hours non-stop.

A SeaGuardian costs around 12 billion yen, or $77 million. The first is to be delivered in fiscal year 2028. The department plans to acquire 23 drones by fiscal year 2032.

The ministry asked relevant companies to submit proposals on which unmanned aerial vehicles should be introduced. The SeaGuardian was the only model offered.

The decision to introduce the surveillance drone should help remedy the shortage of FDS personnel.

The number of personnel recruited by the SDF during the last fiscal year represented just over 50 percent of the plan.