In 2023, an Izumo destroyer docks at a Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka.
14:10 JST, May 9, 2024
The Defense Ministry has concluded that a video posted online of a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer likely taken by an unauthorized drone is likely authentic, ministry sources said.
The ministry analyzed the video after it was posted on social media in late March. The footage, which appears to have been captured by a drone, shows an Izumo destroyer docked at an MSDF base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. However, flying a drone over a base without permission from the facility managers is prohibited under the Drone Act.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the ministry is investigating the authenticity of the images. The MSDF’s security measures are likely to be questioned as the possibility increases that the Izumo video is authentic.
The 19-second video from the 248-meter destroyer, one of the largest of its kind, appears to show the ship’s deck as the camera moves slowly from the stern to the bow.
