What do you make of 11 Chinese military aircraft flying near the Japanese islands?

2015-11-29T07:54:44-05:00

What do you make of 11 Chinese military aircraft flying near the Japanese islands?

Just another way for China to flex it's muscle and power?

TOKYO —
Japan scrambled jets after 11 Chinese military planes flew near southern Japanese islands during what Beijing said was a drill to improve its long-range combat abilities, reports said Saturday.

The planes—eight bombers, two intelligence gathering planes and one early-warning aircraft—flew near Miyako and Okinawa on Friday without violating Japan’s airspace, the Japanese defense ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

Some of them flew between the two islands while others made flights close to neighboring islands, the ministry said.

A Chinese air force spokesman said several types of planes, including H-6K bombers, were involved in Friday’s drill over the western Pacific, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

Shen Jinke said such open sea exercises had improved the force’s long-distance combat abilities, according to Xinhua.

While there were no further comments from the Japanese ministry, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that it was “unusual” for China to dispatch such a large fleet close to Japan’s airspace and the ministry was analysing the purpose of the mission.

Japan scrambles jets hundreds of times a year to defend its airspace, both against Russia and these days also against Chinese aircraft.

Beijing has warned this is heightening tensions between the two Asian powerhouses, which are already at loggerheads over a longstanding territorial row in the East China Sea and Japanese military aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

The move comes with tensions running high in the South China Sea after a US warship sailed close to at least one land formation claimed by China, which has rattled its neighbors with its increasingly assertive stance in territorial disputes.

China transformed reefs in the region into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move the US says threatens freedom of navigation in a region through which one-third of the world’s oil passes.

China insists on sovereignty over virtually all the resource-endowed South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by a handful of other countries.

Washington has repeatedly said it does not recognise the Chinese claims.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Nov 29 at 2015 7:59 AM

2015-11-29T07:59:21-05:00

Of Course! A little harassment to get a rise out of the Japanese. Same thing we used to do to the Iranians. Get some Ideas about their OOB Order of Battle in how they responded. Test them. Part of our Trade as Military Professionals, Poke and Prod future Opponents.

Response by Sgt Nick Marshall made Nov 29 at 2015 12:14 PM

2015-11-29T12:14:46-05:00

Not unusual, testing the Jsdf to see a:how quick they react and b:gather Intel on signals as they react.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 29 at 2015 2:33 PM

2015-11-29T14:33:50-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs 11 Chinese military aircraft flying near the Japanese islands seems provocative. Even though Beijing said was a drill to improve its long-range combat abilities, I expect it is similar shot across the bow to dissuade the Japanese from pursuing their claims to the Spratly Islands.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Nov 29 at 2015 2:34 PM

2015-11-29T14:34:07-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Mikel; I make about as much of that as I make of American aircraft "flying near China".

Am I supposed to make more of it?

After all, there was no air space violation so that means that the Chinese aircraft had the legal right to do what they did, doesn't it? Are the laws different depending on who is doing what or is the tone of the coverage simply an attempt to increase profits by inducing fear and panic?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 29 at 2015 5:14 PM

2015-11-29T17:14:12-05:00

I think that everybody does stuff like this for practice.
The Japanese got some practice on defense out of the deal, too.

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Nov 30 at 2015 9:27 AM

2015-11-30T09:27:40-05:00

China has no right to claim that territory and it is flexing its military muscles and making moves to control the supply of oil going through that region. The UN (if it had any sense) should have imposed an embargo on ALL Chinese goods when the Chinese began building the islands citing legal and environmental concerns. The rest of the world could have done without Chinese imports longer than the Chinese could have done without the exports to fuel their selfish ambitions. The UN should also be brokering negotiations between those countries laying claim to that part of the South China Sea to settle their disputes.

Response by SPC Byron Skinner made Nov 30 at 2015 5:21 PM

2015-11-30T17:21:13-05:00

Sp4 Byron Skinner. The operative phrase here is "…without violating Japan's airspace." Freedom of international applies to Chinese military aircraft as it does to two US B-52's who over flew the South China Sea. I'm not trying to down grade the fragile relationship right now between China and Japan, but in the case the Chinese were well with in the provisions of international law.