Japan Scrambles Jets to Warn Russian Spy Plane With Flares

On Monday, Japan reported that its warplanes deployed flares to signal a Russian reconnaissance aircraft to exit its northern airspace. This incident involved a Russian Il-38 aircraft that briefly entered Japanese airspace above Rebun Island, situated just off the coast of Hokkaido, for nearly a minute on three separate occasions during a five-hour reconnaissance mission.

The airspace violation occurred just a day after a collaborative naval operation involving Chinese and Russian warships traversed Japan’s northern coastal waters. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara suggested that the incursion might be linked to a joint military exercise announced earlier in the month by Russia and China.

In response to the airspace breach, Japan deployed an undisclosed number of F-15 and F-35 fighter jets. Notably, flares were employed for the first time after the Russian plane appeared to disregard previous warnings. Kihara expressed that the airspace violation was “extremely regrettable” and confirmed that Japan lodged a formal protest with Russia via diplomatic channels, demanding that such incidents not recur.

Kihara emphasized the importance of vigilance and stated that Japan would continue to execute warning and surveillance operations, remaining attentive to military maneuvers in the region. The use of flares was described as a valid and appropriate response to the encroachment, and he confirmed plans to utilize this method if necessary in the future.

Concerns about increasing military collaboration between China and Russia have heightened among Japanese defense officials, particularly regarding China’s assertive operations in and around Japanese territory. As a result, Japan has bolstered its defenses, especially in its southwestern region, including remote islands that are pivotal to the nation’s security framework.

In recent developments, there have been multiple instances of Russian military aircraft trespassing into Japanese airspace, including an incident in September where Russian planes were reported circling the southern coast. Additionally, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance aircraft crossed into Japan’s southern airspace briefly in late August. Notably, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, alongside two destroyers, ventured almost into Japanese waters between the islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote.

Statistics reveal that between April 2023 and March 2024, Japan’s military scrambled jets nearly 669 times, primarily in response to Chinese military aircraft activities, which accounted for roughly 70% of these incidents. However, this figure does not include violations of Japanese airspace.

The ongoing territorial dispute with Russia over a series of islands seized from Japan by the former Soviet Union at the conclusion of World War II remains unresolved, obstructing the signing of a formal peace treaty to officially conclude hostilities between the two nations.

Simultaneously, there has been a notable increase in Russian and Chinese military activity near Alaska. Recently, the U.S. military mobilized around 130 soldiers along with mobile rocket launchers to a remote island in the Aleutian chain, responding to an uptick in Russian military aircraft and vessels approaching U.S. territory.

Russian military operations have intensified, with reports of eight Russian planes and four naval vessels, including two submarines, coming close to Alaskan shores. Earlier this month, two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6s entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, leading to intercept actions by U.S. F-16s, F-35s, and Canadian CF-18s, as confirmed by U.S. defense officials.

The escalation of military engagement in these regions reinforces the complex security dynamics that Japan, the U.S., and their allies face amid growing military ties between Russia and China.

Source: CBS News