Japanese Scrambled Fewer Fighters Against Foreign Aircraft Last Year, Says MoD

Russian and Chinese aircraft flight patterns in FY 2022. Japanese Ministry of Defense Photo.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force carried out a total of 612 fighter scrambles against foreign aircraft by the end of the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2022, a decrease from a total of 785 scrambles in the same period for FY 2021, according to a report released Friday by the Joint Staff Office of Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Of the scrambles for the FY 2022 period, which covers April 1 through Dec. 31, 75...

https://news.usni.org/2023/01/20/japanese-scrambled-fewer-fighters-against-foreign-aircraft-last-year

Chinese UAV Lingered Off Taiwan’s Coast Ahead of Island’s Annual Exercise

Chinese TB-001 UAV. Photo Courtesy of Japanese Ministry of Defense

A Chinese unmanned air vehicle flew through the Miyako Strait of Japan before lingering off Taiwan’s west coast on Monday.

The UAV approached the island as Taiwan began its annual Han Kuang military exercise, the nation’s largest military exercise that is geared towards countering an invasion of Taiwan.

A Chinese TB-001 UAV flew in from the East China Sea, passed through the Miyako Strait and then went by the Sakishima islands as...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/26/chinese-uav-lingered-off-taiwans-coast-ahead-of-islands-annual-exercise

Chinese, Russian Warships Continue to Circle Japan, Defense Minister Says

Chinese ships operating near Japan on June 24, 2022. Japanese MoD Image

An uptick in Russian and Chinese warship movements near Japan are a part of an ongoing military demonstration toward Tokyo, Japan’s Defense Minister Nobou Kishi said this week.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Russian Pacific fleet have, since mid-June, sent two separate surface action groups around the Japanese home islands.

“The fact that about 10 Russian and Chinese ships sail around Japan on the same route in a...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/24/chinese-russian-warships-continue-to-circle-japan-defense-minister-says

Chinese, Russian Warships Active Near Japan Ahead of RIMPAC 2022

Chinese ships on June 17, 2022. JMSDF Photos

Russian warships are now steaming in the East China and the Philippine seas near Japan, the Russian Navy and the Japan Defense Ministry announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Indo-Pacific Deployment 2022 (IPD22) drilled with the U.S. Navy while ships from five Indo-Pacific nations sailed together out of Guam en route to the Rim of the Pacific 2022 (RIMPAC2022) exercise in Hawaii.

The Russian Navy said destroyers...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/20/chinese-russian-warships-active-near-japan-ahead-of-rimpac-2022

Chinese, Russian Warships Continue to Exercise Near Japan

Chinese Dongdiao-class surveillance ship, hull number 795

A Chinese surface group sailed past Japanese islands to enter the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday while a PLAN surveillance ship sailed through the Miyako Strait on Thursday to enter the Pacific Ocean according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

On Wednesday the Joint Staff Office (JSO) issued a released stating that at 9 a.m. on the same day, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force sighted a People’s Liberation Army Navy Luyang III destroyer...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/03/chinese-russian-warships-continue-to-exercise-near-japan

Chinese, Russian Bombers Hold Joint Exercises Near Japan, Korea

Route of Russian and Chinese bombers during an exercise near Japan and South Korea. Japanese MoD Photo

Four Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian Tu-95 bombers conducted joint flights together on Tuesday around Japan and the Republic of Korea, prompting both countries to scramble fighter aircraft to monitor the flights. The joint flights took place the same day U.S. President Joe Biden was meeting his Australian, Indian and Japanese Quad grouping counterparts in Tokyo, though both the Russian and...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/25/chinese-russian-bombers-hold-joint-exercises-near-japan-korea

Chinese Carrier Strike Group Now Operating in East China Sea

Ships from the Chinese Liaoning Carrier Strike Group on May 22, 2022. Japanese MoD Photo

China’s Liaoning Carrier Strike Group is now operating in the East China Sea after conducting drills in the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea for more than two weeks, the Japan Ministry of Defense said over the weekend.

The majority of the group transited the Miyako Strait on Saturday, the Japanese government said in news releases on Friday and Saturday.

The Liaoning CSG includes eight ships, namely carrier...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/23/chinese-carrier-strike-group-now-operating-in-east-china-sea

Chinese Navy Active Near Japan, Carrier USS Ronald Reagan Begins Spring Patrol

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) departs Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) for a regularly scheduled deployment, May 20, 2022. US Navy Photo

A Chinese surveillance ship and a Russian surveillance ship made separate transits through Japan this week.

The Chinese ship sailed through the Osumi Strait on Thursday, while the Russian ship sailed through La Pérouse Strait on Wednesday. The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s 41st Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce sailed through the Miyako Strait on...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/20/chinese-navy-active-near-japan-carrier-uss-ronald-reagan-begins-spring-patrol

Russian, Chinese Ships Steaming Near Japan as Carrier Lincoln Operates Near Korea

An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye landing aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). US Navy Photo

KULA LUMPUR – Three Russian warships and three Russian civilian vessels transited the Tsushima Straits on Tuesday, while a Chinese surveillance ship sailed from the East China Sea into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, according to releases posted on Wednesday by the Joint Staff Office of the Japan Self-Defense Force.

The three Russian Navy ships are destroyer RFS Admiral Panteleyev (548), an Altay-class...

https://news.usni.org/2022/04/21/russian-chinese-ships-steaming-near-japan-as-carrier-lincoln-operates-near-korea

Japan Monitoring Russian and Chinese Military Activity in Sea of Japan, Defense Minister Says

Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Arthur Renteria, from Carson, California, stands starboard life buoy watch on the fantail aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Murasame-class destroyer JS Inazuma (DD 105) sails in formation during a U.S.-Japan bilateral exercise in the Sea of Japan on April 12, 2022. U.S. Navy Photo

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Japan is monitoring the increased Russian and Chinese military activity around its...

https://news.usni.org/2022/04/15/japan-monitoring-russian-and-chinese-military-activity-in-sea-of-japan-defense-minister-says