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Japan plans island drone deployment to monitor Chinese naval activity

Japan’s planned deployment of long-range surveillance drones on remote Pacific islands would mark a significant expansion of its ability to monitor Chinese naval activity, as…

By Samantha Johnson / May 20, 2026
Japan’s planned deployment of long-range surveillance drones on remote Pacific islands would mark a significant expansion of its ability to monitor Chinese naval activity, as Beijing’s warships operate more frequently beyond the first island chain.

The drones are to be stationed on Iwo Jima and Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara chain south of Tokyo, according to a report by the Yomiuri newspaper published on Monday. The airfield on Minamitorishima, about 1,950km (1,211 miles) southeast of Tokyo and Japan’s easternmost point, will also be used to complement the drones’ deployment.

The aim will be to provide real-time intelligence in an area that is currently a surveillance “blind spot”, government sources told the Yomiuri.

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Such a view has taken on greater importance as Chinese naval activity expands into waters east of Okinawa and deeper into the western Pacific, according to Japanese defence assessments and regional security analysts.

The first island chain refers to a key US security doctrine spanning a vast area from the Kamchatka peninsula in the northeast to the Malay peninsula in the southwest, including Japanese territory.

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“This decision is in line with Tokyo’s sharpening threat assessments, especially with regard to the increased pressure caused by Chinese maritime activity” beyond the first island chain, said William Yang, a Taiwan-based analyst for the International Crisis Group.

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