US Ally Triples Intercepts of Chinese and Russian Military Aircraft
Published Apr 19, 2024 at 5:14 AM EDT
Updated Apr 19, 2024 at 10:03 AM EDT
Japan's air intercepts of mostly Chinese and Russian military aircraft more than tripled last month as the quasi-allies ramped up springtime maneuvers in the region, according to Japanese Defense Ministry data published on Friday.
Japan's fighter jets were scrambled 70 times in March to head off possible airspace violations, the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces said; 60 times against planes from China, nine times against those from Russia, and once for an unspecified nation, the figures showed.
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force patrols the country's extensive archipelagic territory, which spans East and Northeast Asia and borders potential adversaries China, Russia and North Korea.
Newsweek's map shows Japan's declared air-defense identification zone, which overlaps with most of its exclusive economic zone outside of sovereign airspace. The ADIZ covers the Japan-administered Senkaku islets, but not the South Korea-held Liancourt Rocks or the Russia-controlled Kuril islands.
https://www.newsweek.com/japan-air-self-defense-force-scrambles-china-russia-aircraft-1892062
