A Chinese Air Force manned aircraft has violated Japanese airspace for the first time in history, as confirmed by Japan's Ministry of Defense.
According to Atlas News, the incident involved a Y-9Z electronic reconnaissance aircraft, which entered Japanese airspace near the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture.
The Chinese aircraft reportedly breached Japan's airspace for two minutes before exiting and continuing its reconnaissance operations in Japan's exclusive economic zone.
This is the first recorded violation by a manned Chinese aircraft. The last time something similar happened was in 2012 when a Chinese drone violated Japanese airspace.
Japan's radar posts tracked the Y-9Z aircraft from the moment it entered the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ).
In response, a pair of F-2 fighters from the 8th Air Force Wing at Tsuiki Air Base were dispatched to monitor the aircraft. The fighters escorted the Chinese plane throughout its passage through the JADIZ and during the brief airspace violation.
Following the incident, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chinese Charge d’Affaires to formally protest the airspace violation.
In a recently published report, Japan’s Ministry of Defense detailed the increasing activities of Chinese and Russian aircraft in Japan's exclusive economic zone.
From April to July 2024, Japan's Self-Defense Air Force scrambled its jets 244 times for escort and interception missions, with a noticeable increase in Chinese activity.
