Chinese Manned Aircraft Violates Japanese Airspace for the First Time

26 August, 2024 A Y-9Z reconnaissance aircraft during a violation of Japanese airspace. Photo credits: JASDF A manned aircraft of the Chinese Air Force violated Japanese airspace for the first time in history.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Japan. The violation of airspace by the Y-9Z electronic reconnaissance aircraft took place near the Danjo Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. The aircraft entered Japanese airspace for two minutes, after which it left and continued to conduct reconnaissance activities in the exclusive economic zone of Japan.

Schematic representation of the flight of the Chinese Y-9Z reconnaissance aircraft.

Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Japan

It should be noted that the Chinese aircraft was tracked by Japanese radar posts from the moment it entered the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ). Subsequently, a patrol pair of F-2 fighters from the 8th Air Force Wing at Tsuiki Air Base was dispatched to escort the aircraft. The fighters monitored the Chinese aircraft throughout its passage through the air defense identification zone and during the air border violation.

This was the first violation of Japanese airspace by a Chinese manned aircraft, although in December 2012 a violation was recorded by a Chinese reconnaissance drone. Following this incident, the Japanese side summoned the Charge d'Affaires of China to the Japanese Foreign Ministry to lodge a protest.

Schematic representation of the flight of the Chinese Y-9Z reconnaissance aircraft. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Japan

The Ministry of Defense of Japan recently published a three-month report on the activities of Chinese and Russian aviation and their activities in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Thus, from April to July 2024, aircraft of the Self-Defense Air Force have scrambled for escort/interception 244 times, namely

  • April - 41
  • May - 37
  • June - 81
  • July - 85

Of these:

  • April - 28 Chinese, 13 Russian
  • May - 31 Chinese, 6 Russian
  • June - 46 Chinese, 33 Russian, 2 aircraft from countries not neighboring Japan.
  • July - 72 Chinese, 13 Russian.

Previously, Militarny reported that fighter jets from Sweden and Finland flew to escort Russian fighters flying over neutral Baltic waters.

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