SDF confirms Global Hawk drone crashed off western Japan

TOKYO - The Air Self-Defense Force said Wednesday it has determined that a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, with which contact was lost the previous day, crashed off Tottori Prefecture in western Japan, based on photos of floating objects found at sea.

As the search for the aerial vehicle continues, an investigation team has been sent to recover the aircraft and analyze its communications with ground control as well as other factors to quickly determine the cause of the crash.