Japan’s maritime patrol planes hampered by equipment problems: report

RIKA KIMURA and SHINNOSUKE NAGATOMI

TOKYO — Chronic equipment problems and a parts shortage prevent a fleet of Japanese patrol aircraft from operating at optimum capacity, a report released Friday by an independent national agency shows.

The P-1 produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries entered service in 2013, and 35 units were stationed across three bases as of September 2024. The aircraft can operate for long hours to monitor foreign warships and submarines in Japan’s surrounding waters.