cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5998772
Japan has protested after Chinese fighter jets locked radars on Japanese aircraft as tensions between the two nations worsened.
Locking radar onto an aircraft is considered a threat because it can signal a potential attack. Japan said there were two such incidents Saturday off its southern Okinawa islands.
Japan said it scrambled fighter jets in response to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets, while Beijing accused Tokyo of “harassing” its forces during a training exercise. No injuries or damage were reported.
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Last week, China and Japan’s coast guards gave conflicting accounts of a confrontation near disputed islands in the East China Sea.
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A Japanese defence ministry official said the intention of the Chinese J-15 jets was “unclear”, but added that … the Japanese aircraft “did not do anything that could be considered a provocation”.
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This comes two weeks after Japan scrambled aircraft when a suspected Chinese drone was detected off Yonaguni, island near Taiwan. Tokyo has said it is planning to deploy missiles from Yonaguni in a move that has angered Beijing.
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When Russia flew their jets above Turkey, Turkey chose to act, not protest. No more Russian jets fly above Turkey.
They lead you with radars? Lead them back. Protests are for students from democratic countries. Protests are useless against China, Russia, USA, etc…
Japan’s F-15 would be no match to the Chinese J-15, which is like half a generation more advanced. The outcome of tit-for-tat would be highly one sided. The F-15 couldn’t lock on to the Chinese jet as far as the J-15, nor could its missiles shoot as far.
Let’s not lose our heads here. This did not occur over Japanese airspace. No need to escalate directly to kinetic action.
This new Japanese PM is picking stupid fights she cannot win.
This would be like Canada threatening the US. She needs to focus in problems in Japan, not foreign policy.