On the 18th, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority announced a new policy requiring electric power companies to install equipment that can detect drones over nuclear power plants. This decision comes in response to the increasing capabilities of drones and reports of attacks on nuclear facilities in other countries. The regulatory body will revise existing rules to enforce this requirement, encompassing a range of facilities including nuclear power plants, reprocessing plants, and research reactors operated by universities and research institutions, notably including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The regulations mandate that these detection systems be in place within two years of their formal implementation, following a 30-day period for public comment starting from the 19th. The move is intended to prevent potential incidents involving the destruction of facilities or theft of nuclear materials like uranium and plutonium, as the risk associated with drones has been objectively acknowledged by the authorities.

This initiative is being introduced after a series of incidents where unidentified lights, later perceived as possibly related to drones, were reported above the Kyushu Electric's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant. In one notable case from July last year, security personnel saw 'three lights' for approximately two hours, but the suspected drone was not located, leading the police to speculate that these lights might have been misidentified aircraft. This highlights an acknowledgment and increasing vigilance around the potential threats posed by drones in the vicinity of critical infrastructure in Japan.