Japanese fighter jet fired missiles at a Russian Il-38 For The First Time In 66 Years
- 24.09.2024, 10:55
The incident occurred amid the second stage of joint Russian-Chinese exercises.
On September 23, Japanese F-15 and F-35 fighter jets fired warning missiles at a Russian Il-38 reconnaissance aircraft that violated Japanese airspace. According to The Wall Street Journal, this incident was the first time since 1958 that the Japanese Self-Defence Forces used warning salvos.
According to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Russian Il-38 patrol aircraft violated Japanese airspace three times between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time, flying over the waters of Rebun Island in the north of the Japanese archipelago.
Hayashi added that Japan sent Russia an “extremely strong protest” in connection with the violation of borders. As the publication notes, the Japanese Air Force twice transmitted warnings to the Russian aircraft demanding that it leave the country's airspace, but warning missiles were fired only after the third intrusion.
The publication's journalists asked the Russian Defence Ministry to comment on the situation, but the department did not respond to the request.
Incident context
Observers note that in recent years, Russian military aircraft have increasingly operated near Japanese territory. In this case, the incident occurred against the backdrop of the second stage of the joint Russian-Chinese exercises "North - Interaction 2024", in which warships of the Russian Federation and the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) maneuvered in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, as well as in the airspace above them.
"Conducted simultaneously with joint coastal guard and patrol exercises between China and Russia, the military maneuvers of China and Russia once again emphasized the high level of cooperation in the field of security and defence between the two countries, experts said," the Chinese publication Global Times writes in this regard.
According to the Japanese government, Russian aircraft violate Japanese airspace more often than others. Moreover, of the 48 recorded violations, 44 were committed by Soviet aircraft.