Japanese Jet Scrambles to Ward Off Chinese, Russian Planes Rise in 2016

The number of Japanese jet scrambles has risen in 2016, mostly due to Chinese and Russian activity, Japan’s Defense Ministry said Friday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) fighters were scrambled a record 594 times between April and October, 251 times more than last year, the Japanese Joint Staff estimated.

Of those, 69 percent of ASDF scrambles were to counter Chinese planes, or 407 times. Russian planes caused ASDF fighters to take off 180 times, 72 times more than last year.

The ASDF did not report any trespasses of the Japanese airspace by Russian aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry said repeatedly that its planes were performing routine missions in the Pacific and the Sea of Japan.