Japan Accuses Chinese Jets of Targeting Military Aircraft with Radar
Japan says Chinese fighter jets aimed fire-control radar at its military planes near Okinawa, calling the maneuvers dangerous and filing a formal protest.
Japan has accused Chinese J-15 fighter jets of directing targeting radar toward Japanese aircraft in two separate incidents near Okinawa, calling the actions “dangerous and unacceptable.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the radar lock went beyond what is necessary for safe flight operations and posed a serious risk of escalation. She said Japan has formally lodged a protest with Beijing over what she described as a “deeply regrettable incident.”
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, speaking in Tokyo alongside Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles, said Japan would respond to China’s actions in a “firm and calm manner” to protect regional stability.
China rejected the allegations. Naval spokesperson Colonel Wang Xuemeng said Japanese aircraft repeatedly approached Chinese naval forces conducting announced carrier-based flight drills east of the Miyako Strait and interfered with operations.
Japan said the Chinese aircraft involved launched from the carrier Liaoning, which was operating with three missile destroyers south of Okinawa. Tokyo scrambled F-15 fighters in response to the operations.
The two neighbours have clashed over similar incidents in the past. In 2013, Japan said a Chinese vessel locked radar onto a Japanese destroyer, and in 2016 Beijing accused Tokyo of using radar against Chinese jets. Earlier this year, Japan also reported a Chinese fighter flying dangerously close to one of its patrol aircraft.
Analysts note that air and naval encounters have become increasingly frequent as both countries expand patrols in contested airspace and waters near the East China Sea.
Security experts warn that without communication mechanisms and restraint, even routine surveillance flights could trigger a broader military confrontation between Asia’s two largest powers.
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