Japan Buys Two SeaGuardians From GA-ASI

The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has signed a contract to purchase two SeaGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), with delivery scheduled for 2025. This agreement follows the ongoing Company-Owned, Contractor-Operated arrangement that began in April 2022.

Since the implementation, JCG has utilized SeaGuardians for multiple missions, including search and rescue, disaster response, and maritime surveillance, demonstrating efficiency and effectiveness. Notably, the units played a role during the 7.6 magnitude earthquake near the Noto Peninsula and during the 2023 G-7 Summit in Hiroshima.

SeaGuardian is a medium-altitude, long-endurance RPA system capable of flying for 24 hours or more based on configuration. GA-ASI has enhanced its Maritime Wide Area Surveillance (MWAS) in Japan with Optix+, a software suite that integrates data from SeaGuardian sensors and other sources for comprehensive surveillance information.