Two Chinese strategic bombers and a maritime surveillance plane were intercepted by Japanese fighter aircraft above contested waters on Tuesday during a long-range patrol, Japan's Defense Ministry said.
The pair of nuclear-capable H-6 bombers were without fighter escorts as they flew a return sortie from the East China Sea into the Western Pacific via the Miyako Strait, according a map released by the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces.
The flight paths are recreated in a Newsweek graphic (below), which shows the Chinese military aircraft exiting the so-called first island chain via the strategic waterway, which sits between Japan's southwestern islands of Miyako and Okinawa, heavily fortified territories that would serve as choke points in wartime.
China's of H-6 warplane was first introduced in the late 1960s as a license-built version of the Soviet Tu-16 bomber. A fleet of more than 200 aircraft are now flown by the Chinese air force and navy.
Conventional- and nuclear-armed H-6s have an operational range of up to 3,700 miles and a cruising speed of 477 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Army's ODIN database of military technologies. Modern variants are designed to launch ballistic missiles at standoff range.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army has increased the frequency of its combat patrols in recent years. These provide crews with valuable training hours, but the power projection also sends pointed political signals to potential adversaries like the United States and its regional allies.
Tokyo's report showed the bombers were accompanied by a Chinese navy Y-9 electronic intelligence aircraft. The spy plane—identified in the photographs by its under-nose radome—would have scanned the sea while flying the same route.
"While the Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft and H-6 bombers were circling over the Pacific Ocean, one presumed Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle was flying in the same airspace," Japan's Joint Staff said.
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force fighters were also scrambled on Saturday and Sunday when a Chinese KQ-200 maritime patrol aircraft flew a similar pattern into the Western Pacific, above waters where the U.S. and Japanese navies conducted frequent military exercises.
The Chinese Defense Ministry did not respond to a request to comment on the latest patrols, which may have been part of planned springtime drills that in the past have also involved joint-sorties with Russian forces.
Monthly statistics published by Tokyo earlier this month said its fighter jets were scrambled 21 times in February against Russian and Chinese planes to head off possible airspace violations.
In the 11 months since April 2023, Japan's fighter jets were scrambled 599 times, the data showed.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
