Japan and Australia urge calm after Chinese radar locks on Japanese jets

Japan and Australia have called for calm following a tense incident where Chinese military aircraft locked radar on Japanese fighter jets, an escalation that comes amid deteriorating relations between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi described the incident as “extremely regrettable” and “dangerous,” saying it “exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations.” The Japanese government has filed a formal protest with China and demanded preventive measures to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, a Chinese J-15 fighter jet from the aircraft carrier Liaoning, operating near Okinawa on Saturday, locked its radar on Japanese F-15 jets twice – for approximately three minutes in the late afternoon and about 30 minutes in the evening. The Japanese aircraft had been scrambled to monitor Chinese planes conducting takeoff and landing exercises in the Pacific, maintaining what officials described as a safe, non-provocative distance when the radar locks occurred.

Radar locks are considered particularly serious in military aviation, as they typically precede missile launches and signal potential hostile intent. While no airspace violations occurred and no injuries or damage were reported, the incident represents a significant escalation in the already tense relationship between the two East Asian powers.

The Chinese military defended its actions, with Navy spokesperson Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng stating that Beijing had announced the exercises beforehand. Wang accused Japanese aircraft of “harassment” and demanded Japan “immediately stop slandering and smearing, and strictly restrain its frontline actions.”

This confrontation comes just one month after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan’s military could become involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Takaichi called the radar lock incident “extremely disappointing” but promised Japan would “act calmly and resolutely” while continuing surveillance operations around Japanese waters and airspace.

The timing is particularly sensitive as Japan and Australia held scheduled defense talks in Tokyo on Sunday. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles expressed concern about China’s actions, saying, “We expect those interactions to be safe and professional.” He emphasized Australia’s interest in maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait while acknowledging China’s importance as Australia’s largest trading partner.

During their meeting, Japanese and Australian defense ministers agreed to strengthen military ties and establish a “framework for strategic defense coordination,” underscoring Japan’s efforts to expand its defense relationships beyond its traditional alliance with the United States. Australia is increasingly viewed by Tokyo as a semi-ally in regional security matters.

Marles had visited a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki the day before to observe production of upgraded Mogami-class frigates, which Australia selected in September to replace its aging naval fleet.

Military analysts note that Saturday’s incident is believed to be the first radar lock confrontation involving Japanese and Chinese military aircraft, though a similar incident occurred in 2013 when a Chinese warship targeted radar on a Japanese destroyer.

The escalating tensions in East Asia coincide with separate incidents elsewhere in the region. The Philippine coast guard reported that Chinese forces fired three flares toward a Philippine fisheries bureau plane patrolling the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.

These developments highlight the increasingly complex security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, with territorial disputes, military buildups, and great power competition raising concerns about potential miscalculations that could lead to broader conflict.