The owner of a video allegedly showing drone footage of a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel in port has said he posted the video to social media to attract attention despite knowing it was illegal to fly drones in the area.
The video, which appears to provide a clear shot from above of the deck of the carrier Izumo while it was anchored at an MSDF base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, stirred controversy after it was posted on a Chinese social media platform earlier this year.
Unauthorized drone flights are prohibited near the MSDF's base in Yokosuka, with unmanned aerial vehicles jammed or captured if detected.
In a recent online interview in English with Kyodo News, the individual claimed he was "not intercepted" operating the drone, but declined to disclose details about when the footage was taken or the drone's takeoff and landing location.
He dispelled rumors that the video was fake and generated by artificial intelligence, saying, "All the footages I posted are filmed by myself."
The individual, who said he left Japan after taking the footage and is currently in China, acknowledged he was aware the act was illegal and promised not to do it again.
"I do not have intention to provoke international conflict. I just did it for fun," he said.
The video was posted on a Chinese video sharing site in March and later reposted on X. While some accused the video of being AI-generated, Japan's Defense Ministry said Thursday that it was highly likely the video was taken from a drone that flew without permission above the vessel.
"We take this matter very seriously. As there is a possibility of unmanned aerial vehicles becoming more difficult to detect, we will ensure the base is thoroughly secure," Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a press conference Friday.
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Japan probing video of MSDF ship possibly taken by unauthorized drone
