On July 23, for the first time Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the Russian Air Force jointly conducted a long-range aerial patrol in the Indo-Pacific region to “strengthen global strategic stability.”  Two PLAAF Xian H-6K long-range bombers were joined by two Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers in a mission over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea.  The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled fighter jets in response to the joint air patrol.  According to the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) the two Tu-95MS bombers flew through the Miyako Strait, situated between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako in the East China Sea. The aircraft also reportedly entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) and stayed in the KADIZ for about 93 minutes, and the Chinese warplanes stayed there for 85 minutes. The South Korean MoD said a Russian Air Force Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft twice violated South Korean airspace over the Dokdo islets. This was confirmed by Japan’s MoD. which made the same accusation against the Russian aircraft as it claims sovereignty over the Dokdo, which are called Takeshima in Japan. The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) scrambled fighter jets in response and fired 20 flares and 360 machine gun rounds as warning shots.

(Comment: The incident reportedly constituted the first time that a Russian military aircraft has violated South Korean airspace. Dokdo is called Takeshima in Japan and is claimed by Russia. Last month, Japan reported that two Tu-95MS strategic bombers violated the country’s airspace off the Japanese island of Minamidaitō southeast of Okinawa and off Hachijō island in the Philippine Sea on June 20. The JASDF conducted 343 scrambles against Russian military aircraft in fiscal year 2018, which ended this March. 638 JASDF scrambles were against PLAAF and People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF) aircraft. This is the first time however that Russian and Chinese aircraft have together overflown an island claimed by Russia.)