Japan fighter scrambles at Cold War levels

The number of scrambles by Japan’s warplanes has surged in recent years to levels nearly matching the Cold War era amid growing activity by China and Russia in the region
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Tupolev Tu-95 “Bear”: Russian strategic bomber

Takeshima/ Dokdo South Korean control,claimed by Japan

RUSSIA

CHINA

N.KOREA

S.KOREA

East China Sea

Chinese aircraft

Senkaku/Diaoyu Japan control, disputed by China and Taiwan

TAIWAN

JAPAN

Tokyo

Japan Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ)

Russian aircraft

Northern territories Russian control,claimed by Japan

Ogasawara Islands

PACIFIC OCEAN

Okinawa

500km 300 miles
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SCRAMBLES BY JAPAN’S AIR FORCE

Height of Cold War (1984) 944

Fiscal year

1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014: 943
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Sources: Japan Ministry of Defence, wire agencies

Japanese airspace***Example flight patterns

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