Japan charges China of pointing fire-control radar at its aircraft

This infographic shows the path of the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN's) Liaoning carrier group in December 2025. (Janes)

Japan has accused Chinese carrier-borne aircraft of directing their fire-control radar at Japanese Boeing (Mitsubishi) F-15 fighter aircraft that were monitoring the progress of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning carrier group in the Western Pacific.

Two separate incidents of “radar illumination” occurred on Saturday, 6 December, while Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) fighters were conducting “anti-aircraft airspace violation measures”, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said during a press conference in Tokyo on 7 December.

While no Japanese personnel or aircraft were harmed during the incidents, Takaichi described the Chinese actions as being “a dangerous act that exceeded the range necessary for safe aircraft flight”.

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD), the first incident occurred between 1632 and 1635 h local time over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island, when a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the Liaoning intermittently illuminated a Japanese F-15 fighter jet that was monitoring the carrier group.

The second incident occurred between 1837 and 1908 h local time, again over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island, after a J-15 fighter aircraft illuminated a JASDF F-15 after taking off from the Liaoning, the MoD added.

“It is extremely regrettable that such an incident occurred,” Takaichi added.

The two incidents occurred while the Liaoning aircraft carrier group – which also includes the Nanchang (101), a Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer, and the Xining (117) and Kaifeng (124), two Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyers – were transiting from the East China Sea through the Miyako Strait to the Western Pacific, according to information published by the Japanese MoD.