Throughout the second half of last July, the Tu-95MS bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) demonstrated a high degree of operability. This was evidenced by their presence in the Alaska ADIZ, alongside aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), and operations were also recorded within the Sea of Japan ADIZ. The news was reported on several occasions last week by the Ministry of Defense and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
While patrol flights in the Sea of Japan have been conducted with varying frequency, the current geopolitical context in the Asia-Pacific region necessitates caution from the powers involved, which seek to demonstrate their long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as their ability to intercept and prevent potential violations of their airspace.
In the mentioned case, throughout last week, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces detected and tracked the presence of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft operating within the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the Sea of Japan. More specifically, the successive reported incidents involved strategic Tupolev Tu-95MS bombers escorted by fighter-bombers.
Departing from their bases in Russia, the aircraft flew east over the Sea of Japan before changing course before reaching the archipelago formed by the Oki Islands. Subsequently, another formation of Russian aircraft, again flying from the continent, headed east but directed towards an area west of Hokkaido Island before changing course northwards. Additionally, other formations of Russian aircraft were recorded flying towards Honshu, prompting the deployment of Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters.
As observed, this demonstrates a high level of operability of the VKS’s long-range aviation regiments, similar to those seen in the Alaska ADIZ, which prompted an immediate response from NORAD, consisting of the deployment of F-16, F/A-18, and F-35A fighters from the U.S. and Canadian Air Forces.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated in official communications that the flights were conducted in international airspace in compliance with international norms and regulations, confirming the execution of similar operations in other regions such as the Baltic, Black Sea, Arctic, and North Atlantic.
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