Use of Flare by Japanese Self-defense Force

Ministry of Defense announced that a Russian reconnaissance aircraft breached airspace of northern Japan for three times on September 23. Fighter jets of Japan Air Self-defense Force used flares to warn the aircraft, for the first time since Japan started measures against airspace breach in 1958. The ministry supposes that the breach was intentional activity by Russia, possibly related to a joint exercise between Russia and China which is ongoing around Japan.

According to the ministry, the Russian military aircraft flew to the airspace at the north of Rebun Island, which is located offshore of Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, and invaded into Japan’s airspace for three times at 1:03, 3:31 and 3:42 p.m. F-15 and F-35 fighter jets of JASDF scrambled. They urged the Russian aircraft not to approach Japan’s airspace through radio and sent a sign to go away by flapping their wings. After that, they warned the Russian aircraft with flare at the third breach.

 

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed “extreme regret” from New York where he was visiting. Japan send Russia its regret through diplomatic channel. “We look closely at Russian activities around Japan and make our best effort for waring and surveillance,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi. The government of Japan established an information liaison office in the Cabinet Crisis Management Center, which is unusual in a situation of airspace breach.

 

The government of Japan assesses that the airspace breach was an intentional activity related to the joint exercise called “Northern United-2024.” It had confirmed that eight vessels of China and Russia have passed Soya Strait from the Japan Sea to the Pacific Ocean. They are supposed to be in the Sea of Okhotsk now. It was possible that the Russian aircraft was involved in some exercise of searching around the Rebun Island.

 

The breach occurred after China’s unusual military activities in the region of southern Japan. China for the first time breached Japan’s airspace offshore Nagasaki in August. Chinese aircraft carrier “Liaoning” entered Japan’s contiguous zone between the island of Yonaguni and Iriomote in September, to which Tokyo expressed “serious concern.” Japanese government raises its warning against military activities of China and Russia having made around Japan.

 

The ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, is in a enthusiasm over its presidential election. Hayashi and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yoko Kamikawa, ran for the election. Kishida was in a foreign trip to make his legacy at the end of his term. It is likely that Russia and China have taken opportunity of this vacuum of politics by military exercise around Japan and breach of airspace.

 

The candidates of LDP presidential election responded to military activities in their campaign discussion over security. Former Minister of Defense, Shigeru Ishiba, argues that deterrence does not work, because China knows Japan unable to exercise shooting for giving damage. Minister of Economic Security, Sanae Takaichi, regrets that Japan is completely underestimated. Most of them approved use of flare by JASDF fighter jets. Tension around territory of Japan gets high.

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