Japan lodged a formal protest with China on Sunday after Chinese fighter jets directed fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft near Okinawa. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the actions “dangerous,” saying the radar illuminations “went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft.” He described the episode as “extremely regrettable,” and Tokyo demanded strict preventive measures.
A radar lock is regarded as highly threatening because it signals a potential attack and can force the targeted plane to take evasive action, though radars are also used for search. Japan’s Defense Ministry said a Chinese J-15 intermittently targeted the radar of Japanese F-15s in two incidents on Saturday — for about three minutes in the afternoon and about 30 minutes in the evening. It was not immediately clear whether the same J-15 was involved in both encounters.
The ministry said the J-15s were launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier, which was maneuvering between Okinawa’s main island and nearby Miyako Island while conducting takeoff and landing drills in the Pacific. Different Japanese fighters detected the radar lock after scrambling against a possible airspace violation; Japan’s airspace was not breached.
A defense ministry official told Kyodo that China’s intentions were unclear and that intermittent targeting would be unnecessary if the goal were simply to locate aircraft. Tokyo’s announcement is the first time its defense ministry has publicly disclosed a fire-control radar lock by Chinese military jets against Japanese aircraft; in 2013 Japan reported a Chinese warship had locked its radar on a Japanese destroyer in the East China Sea.
The incident comes amid worsening China–Japan ties over Taiwan, following remarks in November by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Japan’s military could become involved if China took action against the self-governing island that Beijing claims.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko