noun
patrol plane; patrol aircraft
Military term for an aircraft used for reconnaissance and patrol missions, especially over the sea.
海上自衛隊の哨戒機が不審船を発見した。
A Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane spotted a suspicious vessel.
A reconnaissance aircraft, often with a broader intelligence-gathering role, whereas 哨戒機 emphasizes patrol and surveillance.
Compound of 哨戒 (patrol, scouting) and 機 (aircraft, machine). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with military patrol aircraft.