Japanese Fighters Scrambled for Record 1,000 Times in 2016

Japan sent its planes to intercept foreign aircraft in the 2016 fiscal year, which starts in April and ends in March, for more than 1,000 times, beating the previous record number, local media reported Wednesday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The NHK broadcaster reported citing a military source that in 73 percent of cases, Tokyo tried to intercept Chinese aircraft and in 26 percent of cases the Air Self-Defense Force's jets took off to intercept Russia's planes.

The media outlet added that the previous record of 944 scrambles took place in the 1984 fiscal, but this fiscal year had already beaten the record despite the fact that it ends on March 31.

The number of China's jets attempting to violate the airspace of Japan at one time has also increased, the broadcaster added.

Japan and China have had a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, called in Chinese the Diaoyu Islands, since the 1970s. Japan controls the territory, while China claims it. After World War II, the United States held the control of the territory and then transferred it to Japan in 1972 along with the Okinawa Island.

Russia and Japan have a long-standing territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands. Japan lays claim to Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan islands and the Habomai group of islets. The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty after World War II.