Japan scrambled jets 8 times from April to June due to N Korean planes

Friday 17th July, 02:25 AM JST

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timorborder at 01:59 PM JST - 17th July

Blah, blah, Blah....

Japan and US aircraft have been doing this for years in order to have a bit of 'touchy feely' with Russian aircraft flying close to Japanese airspace. Indeed, back during the Cold War Japan actually got a shock when some Russian pilot just kept on coming (defecting to Japan in a MIG 25).

The interesting question here, however, is how aggressive both sides are in tracking each other. Back in the old days (in Northern Europe and also off Hokkaido), planes of different nations seemed to be willing to give each other the finger while taking happy snaps. Lighting up your targeting systems was considered bad etiquette. I wonder the situation is these days.
Kwaabish at 03:06 PM JST - 17th July

Marion,

The scrambled aircraft mostly flew from Komatsu Airbase in Kanagawa prefecture.
OssanAmerica at 07:56 PM JST - 17th July

Sounds to me the Japanese are too eager - I wonder if they wet their >Pants

No Marion this is, has been, and will be standard procedure and has been going on for decades.
elbudamexicano at 10:01 PM JST - 17th July

This kind of thing happens all the time, but our governments try to down play them. I am just surprised the NK have enough fuel and airplane parts to actually fly planes anywhere.
OssanAmerica at 01:31 AM JST - 18th July

Chrisbiggins>NIgelboy AKA OssanAmerica; How would you know from the >safety of America love?

Because this is the 21st century, "love" and you don't have to live in Xingjang to know whgats going on there. BTW, you really shouldn'y offend nigelboy by even suggesting that we are one and the same.

Is not standard proceedure for decades, saw about it on BBC and they >were ignoring most N Korean planes until the last few months and >tensions were raised.

I'm talking abot incepting and escorting non-allied planes on or near the airspace border genius. The JASDF has been doing this with the soviet bears from Hokkaido to Okinawa for decades until their collapse. "Ignoring" NKorean planes? Post the link. NKOrea hasn't flown planes near Japanese airsace until now.
ca1ic0cat at 04:57 AM JST - 18th July

Have to make sure NK understands that the Japanese aren't going to be on the loosing side of a surprise attack. Good practice. Can't be avoided and I don't see why anybody is surprised or upset.
sfjp330 at 05:12 AM JST - 18th July

Article states: "NK flew near Japanese airspace but did not enter it" This was international space. Why would this be newsworthy when they did not do anything wrong.
Kwaabish at 09:45 PM JST - 18th July

Perhaps the intention of entering the airspace was thwarted when the antiquated MiG's saw a couple of F-15's coming at them? I'm surprised that Kimmie can even afford to let the MiG's fly these days with their constant shortage of fuel and parts....
sfjp330 at 03:26 AM JST - 19th July

kwaabish; "Perhaps the intention of entering the airspace was thwarted"

I doubt it. Facts are that this was international air space. Anybody could fly there without harassment.
Kouseikun at 03:32 AM JST - 19th July

Marion,

The scrambled aircraft mostly flew from Komatsu Airbase in Kanagawa prefecture.

Komatsu Airbase is in Ishikawa Prefecture, on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

My take on this is: the Japanese military did here as they did with the H1N1 virus scare, took preemptive action; they took caution and planned accordingly. Do I think they went overboard? Probably. What the article does not say is how many jets were scrambled; if only three were put into action, okay, but if the entire air fleet at Komatsu or otherwise was put into action, totally overboard.
UnagiDon at 05:09 AM JST - 19th July

Facts are that this was international air space. Anybody could fly there without harassment.

Fact is that when military aircraft from a hostile nation are flying near your borders, any country will scramble its own aircraft to approach and intercept as a matter of course. It used to happen all the time north of Alaska when the US and Canada intercepted Soviet bombers flying towards or near NORAD airspace, still happens sometimes with Russian bombers. It is less "harassment" than giving the appearance of threatening another nation's airspace, as these NK jets were doing.
sfjp330 at 10:22 AM JST - 19th July

Unagi Don You are correct regarding military aircraft from a hostile nation. However, at what point, 50 miles, 100 miles, 200 miles, where the Japanese military defines as "flying near your borders". When you have a vague terminology of "close to Japanese airspace", this could mean anything. If the Japanese military plane flies close to North Korea, NK can also use this same justification without specifics and possibly shoot it down because of hostile intent without proof.
Kwaabish at 07:41 PM JST - 19th July

sfip,

First of all, Japan, like other nations, has an Air Defence Identification Zone.

Second, Japanese radar can usually detect planes taking off from known NK airbases. If it takes off uannounced from one those bases and bee-lines toward your airspace （ADIZ), then like many other nations that have an ADIZ, it would scramble its planes to make sure that it meets that plane near the ADIZ border PRIOR to it crossing over.

If a plane is non-military and has filed its flight-plans/identitified itself and its intentions, then normally, fighter planes would not be scrambled against it.
sfjp330 at 03:11 AM JST - 20th July

kwaabish;

What is the benefit of Japanese military releasing this type of information to the public, even if this is a normal routine security measure? This makes public more on the edge, especially with NK. Are they looking for more military funds by making public insecure?
Kwaabish at 07:40 AM JST - 20th July

sfip,

I don't know of the timing of the release of information, but historically, the JASDF has routinely made information regarding scrambles available to the public. Usually the most amount of scrambles were from Chitose and Hyakuri (Ibraki Pref) against Soviet/Russian aircraft, but recently, there have been more scrambles from Naha/Okinawa and Komatsu for incursions (or possible incursions) in Western Japan.