Japanese Fighter Jets Deploy Flares in Response to Russian Aircraft Breaching Airspace.

September 24, 2024 TruthUSA

A senior Japanese official stated that this was the first instance of flares being used against an intruder in Japanese airspace.

Japan has verified that a Russian patrol aircraft trespassed its airspace on three occasions, leading Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets to deploy flares for the first time.

A Russian IL-38 patrol aircraft flew over Japan’s territorial waters near Rebun Island, off the northernmost Hokkaido, between 1 p.m. and 3:43 p.m. local time on Monday, according to the Japanese defense ministry.

The initial intrusion happened between 1:03 p.m. and 1:04 p.m. local time, followed by the second at around 3:31 p.m., and the third from 3:42 p.m. to 3:43 p.m. Japan responded by scrambling fighter jets.

Japan’s F-15 and F-35 fighter jets discharged flares after the Russian aircraft ignored their warnings to exit the airspace, as per the ministry, with no specifics on the number of jets deployed.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi mentioned that this was the first time flares were used against an airspace intruder. Flares are used as a warning for intruding aircraft to leave the airspace after repeated radio warnings have been issued.

“The violation of our nation’s airspace by a Russian military patrol plane is extremely regrettable,” Hayashi informed reporters on Monday, urging Russia to prevent such violations from happening again.

Hayashi mentioned that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had urged the government to collaborate with the United States and other allied nations.

Japan reportedly filed a protest with Russia about the incident, as per local media Kyodo News.

The occurrence took place a day after eight Chinese and Russian vessels were seen sailing northeast in waters 186 miles west of Okushiri Island, according to a statement by the Japan Joint Staff on Sept. 23.

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara informed reporters on Tuesday that the vessels made their way eastward through the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin to enter the Sea of Okhotsk.

“We have a strong sense of crisis over these kinds of cases that have occurred successively in such a short period in waters and airspace surrounding our nation,” Kihara stated.

China’s defense ministry declared on Sept. 9 that it will carry out a joint military exercise with Russian naval and air forces “in the relevant sea and air areas of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk” this month.

Beijing mentioned that the exercise aims to enhance strategic military cooperation with Russia and “improve their capability to jointly address security threats.”

Japan has expressed worries about the growing military collaboration between the Chinese and Russian air forces. Kihara noted in April that Japan’s military scrambled fighter jets 669 times last year, with 479 of those instances against Chinese aircraft and 174 against Russian aircraft.

Chinese and Russian bombers conducted long-distance joint flights in Japan’s periphery twice last year, Kihara added. In August 2023, Japan dispatched a fighter jet after spotting a Chinese drone over its westernmost Yonaguni Island and Taiwan.

In an April statement, Kihara mentioned that his ministry will continue to monitor the country’s airspace “vigilantly and rigorously” and enforce measures against any airspace intrusions.

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