US deploys drones in southern Japan to keep track of China, North Korea

The US Air Force is deploying MQ-9 Reapers in the Indo-Pacific for the first time under a newly reactivated squadron on the edge of the East China Sea.

The 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kanoya Air Base in southern Japan formally began operations on October 23 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kelly, Defense News quotes the Air Force as saying on October 25.

It's the latest iteration of a unit that was first created as a fighter squadron in New York in 1942, and last served as a training squadron in Florida until 1977.

Now, the 319th will provide eyes in the sky over east Asia in support of joint US-Japan intelligence objectives and "to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific", the service said.

Its patrols could help collect information about Chinese military activity in the area — including signs it may be preparing to invade Taiwan — and that of North Korea, which recently fired a ballistic missile over Japan.

"This will enhance the joint ability to respond to threats and emerging situations while strengthening the alliance," the Air Force said. "MQ-9s can be used to cooperatively address regional challenges such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and other issues affecting the Indo-Pacific."

Reapers are typically used to conduct airstrikes, but will not be armed for reconnaissance missions.

The Air Force has struggled to chart a path forward for the MQ-9 fleet outside of US Central Command, where the drones have redefined modern war as a pivotal counterterror asset in the past two decades.

After multiple attempts to convince Congress to let it cease MQ-9 purchases from drone manufacturer General Atomics, the Air Force may get its wish in the coming year.

The service hopes to shrink its Reaper fleet from 351 to 276 aircraft by the end of fiscal 2023 and stop production altogether. It fears the aircraft could become easy targets for Chinese air defences in a potential war and wants to funnel that money toward higher-priority acquisition programs.

"The most recent briefing to the committee indicated that the Air Force intends to remove well over half of the existing aircraft from the MQ-9 fleet by the fiscal year 2027," the House Armed Services Committee wrote in July.