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Close-up footage of Japan’s flagship aircraft carrier taken by a drone in restricted airspace and reportedly circulated online constitutes a “serious security problem”, a former defense minister told reporters.
“Drones are not allowed to fly over Self-Defense Force bases, including this area,” Itsunori Onodera said in Tokyo on Thursday, adding that the images were captured despite the fact that the zone was meant to be closely monitored. “This is a serious security problem.”
The footage was captured at the military port of Yokosuka, according to the Yomiuri newspaper.
The Ministry of Defense analysed the aerial footage of the Izumo and confirmed it as genuine, after media said earlier it was being seen as a potential fake. Officials reported their findings to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Thursday.
The incident comes at a time when Japan is trying to beef up its defences, including by increasing spending by 60% over five years. The Izumo, along with its sister ship Kaga, symbolises the changing nature of Japan’s defense capabilities as they are the first of its naval vessels since World War II to be able to accommodate fighter jets.
The footage has caused a public stir in Japan, partly because it was labelled with the name of Chinese video-sharing site bilibili. Asked about the footage, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: “I don’t know where it came from.” – Bloomberg
