Japan’s Ministry of Defense lodged a strong protest with Beijing on Saturday, December 6th, accusing Chinese military aircraft of twice radar-locking Japanese Self-Defense Force planes.
Japan described China’s actions as “dangerous behavior beyond the necessary scope of safe aircraft operation” and sternly demanded that China prevent such incidents from happening again.
Radar-locking in a military aviation context typically refers to a fighter jet’s fire-control radar having locked onto and tracked the target aircraft.
According to a statement issued by Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono on Saturday, there were two incidents of Chinese military aircraft radar-locking Japanese Self-Defense Force planes that day.
The first incident occurred between approximately 4:32 and 4:35 p.m. in international airspace southeast of Okinawa Island, where a Chinese J-15 fighter jet, taking off from the Liaoning aircraft carrier, intermittently radar-locked a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jet conducting a mission to prevent airspace violations.
The second incident took place between approximately 6:37 and 7:08 p.m. in international airspace southeast of Okinawa Island, involving a Chinese J-15 fighter jet, again from the Liaoning aircraft carrier, intermittently radar-locking a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jet (the same plane involved in the first incident).
Japan stated that neither the aircraft nor personnel of the Self-Defense Force were injured in these incidents.
“This radar-locking behavior constitutes a dangerous act that goes beyond the required scope of safe flight. We deeply regret this incident and have lodged a strong protest with China, solemnly demanding that such events do not recur,” the statement said.