The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) of Japan has used flares for the first time to warn a Russian military patrol aircraft that violated Japan’s airspace, according to the Defense Ministry. The incident occurred on Monday when a Russian IL-38 aircraft trespassed into Japanese airspace three times near Rebun Island in Hokkaido. In response, the ASDF scrambled fighter jets and launched flares as a warning to the Russian plane. The Japanese government has lodged a protest with Russia over the violation.
The Defense Ministry reported that the Russian plane flew in north-south loops within Japanese airspace for about one minute at 1:03 p.m. It then intruded twice more, for 30 seconds at around 3:31 p.m., and for about one minute from 3:42 p.m. to 3:43 p.m. ASDF fighter jets were dispatched and repeatedly warned the Russian plane via radio not to enter Japanese airspace. However, despite these warnings, the Russian aircraft ignored instructions and entered Japanese airspace for a third time, prompting one of the ASDF fighters to launch flares.
Flares are typically used by aircraft as defensive measures against missiles but can also serve as warnings to hostile planes. At approximately 5:50 p.m., the Russian plane left Rebun Island’s airspace and headed towards mainland Asia.
This incident marks Japan’s 44th violation of its airspace by military aircraft from either Soviet Union or Russia since records began.
In a similar incident in 1987 near Okinawa Island, an ASDF fighter resorted to shooting tracer bullets as a warning signal when a Soviet military plane trespassed into Japanese airspace. The decision between using tracer bullets or flares depends on each situation; however, neither is considered an act of aggression or use of weapons according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.
