Japan scrambled fighter jets on Monday after a Chinese military aircraft violated its airspace near the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the incident occurred at 11:29 a.m. when a Y-9 surveillance aircraft entered Japanese airspace for approximately two minutes. This marks the first confirmed instance of a Chinese military aircraft violating Japan’s territorial airspace.
The incursion prompted Japan to deploy fighter jets and issue warnings to the Chinese aircraft, though no weapons or flares were used. The Chinese plane continued to patrol just outside Japanese airspace for several hours after leaving Japanese territory. Japan’s vice foreign minister, Masataka Okano, summoned China’s acting ambassador to lodge a formal protest and demand that such incidents not be repeated.
Japan’s Defense Ministry released a photograph of the aircraft and a map showing its flight path.
❗️🇨🇳⚔️🇯🇵 – On the morning of August 26, a Chinese Y-9 military reconnaissance aircraft briefly violated Japanese airspace over the Danjo Islands near Nagasaki Prefecture.
The incursion lasted about two minutes and provoked an immediate response from the Japan Air Self-Defense… pic.twitter.com/uMGXCYtu7m
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) August 26, 2024
In recent months, Japan has bolstered its defenses in response to China’s assertive activities around Japanese waters and airspace. This includes significant investments in counter-strike capabilities and closer military cooperation with the United States. The incident also comes on the heels of a joint Russian-Chinese bomber operation near Alaska, further heightening tensions in the region.
Observers suggest that the Y-9 aircraft may have been testing Japan’s air defense response or gathering intelligence on radar signals. The Chinese government has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. Japan, meanwhile, continues to closely monitor its airspace, having scrambled jets nearly 670 times between April 2023 and March 2024, primarily in response to Chinese aircraft.
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