Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force is due to test a large surveillance drone, the SeaGuardian, over the East China Sea later this year.

The Defense Ministry said on Friday that the trial is aimed at verifying whether the unmanned craft can carry out patrols in an area where Chinese naval activity is on the rise.

The ministry says the remote-controlled SeaGuardian will be flown about three times between July and September from the Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

The MSDF began trial flights of the SeaGuardian in May last year to assess its potential to replace manned aircraft for patrol and surveillance.

The flights have been conducted in airspace near Hachinohe Air Base in the northern prefecture of Aomori.

The trial is scheduled to continue until September. The MSDF will determine whether to adopt the large drone for actual use based on its performance and other factors.