The U.S. Air Force has permanently relocated its RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance drones from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to Yokota Air Base in Japan.
According to a report by the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi, the move involves three aircraft and approximately 150 personnel from the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron, which is assigned to the 319th Operations Group.
According to U.S. officials, the decision was driven primarily by the more favorable weather conditions in the Kantō region, where Yokota Air Base is located.
The relocation is expected to reduce the operational disruptions caused by Guam’s typhoon season while ensuring greater availability of the drones for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
The RQ-4B Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft capable of operating for extended periods while collecting intelligence through advanced sensors and imaging systems that function day and night, even under adverse weather conditions.
The move comes as Washington and Tokyo continue strengthening their joint intelligence and surveillance capabilities in response to the increasingly complex security environment across the Indo-Pacific. Yokota’s proximity to key strategic areas is expected to enable faster response times and continuous regional monitoring.
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Photo: Air Force/Jacob Wood | DVIDS. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
