Japan to deploy mobile radar to monitor Chinese activity in Pacific
Japan needs to more carefully monitor Chinese aircraft carriers like the Liaoning pictured here. (Gordon Arthur)
More frequent forays of Chinese aircraft carriers and their complement of fighters is worrying Japan’s military.
Japan’s MoD plann to deploy a mobile aircraft control and warning squadron of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) on the Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago 1,000km south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean, Japanese media reported on 31 May.
The JASDF has 28 fixed ground radar sites to conduct continuous surveillance of Japanese airspace. However, the Ogasawara Islands are a blank area for air defence surveillance because no fixed ground radar is deployed there.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island more than ten times since 2016, and Chinese carriers will certainly expand their activity near
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Oshkosh and Grid Aero tie-up tests new model for scaling military UAS production]()
Oshkosh and Grid Aero tie-up tests new model for scaling military UAS production
By combining established manufacturing capacity with startup aircraft design, the partnership could offer an alternative approach to scaling military uncrewed aircraft production.
-
![European funding and NATO interoperability could shape Polish helicopter plans]()
European funding and NATO interoperability could shape Polish helicopter plans
Poland is seeking to update its transport helicopters as part of a wider military aviation modernisation programme, with EU funding requirements and NATO interoperability key considerations.
-
![Poland air focus: $8.27 billion UAV market highlights value of long-term supplier relationships]()
Poland air focus: $8.27 billion UAV market highlights value of long-term supplier relationships
Poland’s growing investment in UAVs highlights how recurring procurement contracts and continuous technological development can provide suppliers with sustained opportunities beyond initial acquisitions.
-
![Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems]()
Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems
Saab is developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, targeting potential operational deployment within months, while expanding its training capabilities, partnerships and ambitions for wider military applications.
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable]()
US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
