Japanese media said Tuesday that the U.S. Air Force deployed a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft from Guam to a U.S. base in Japan in an apparent bid to step up surveillance of North Korea.
 
According to Kyodo News and NHK, the U.S. Air Force deployed an RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone to Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on Monday night.
 
The U.S. Air Force plans to operate five such drones until October in Yokota Air Base to avoid typhoons in Guam. The remaining four drones are set to arrive at the base soon.
 
An official of Japan’s Defense Ministry said that the U.S. military could have sent the aircraft to boost its surveillance of the North.
 
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is capable of capturing aerial images and electronic data from an altitude of more than 15-thousand meters, which is higher than the altitude commercial aircraft can fly.
 

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