The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has scrambled fighter jets twice this week upon detecting Chinese military aircraft and drones operating near Okinawa, according to official press releases from the Japanese Joint Staff.
On February 26, 2025, Chinese military drones operating near Okinawa tested Japan’s air defenses. From morning to afternoon, a BZK-005 reconnaissance drone – plus, for the first time, a Chengdu GJ-2 (also known as Wing Loong 2) reconnaissance and attack drone – were tracked flying from the East China Sea, passing between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, before entering the Pacific Ocean.
Both drones flew south of Okinawa Island and toward the waters off Amami Oshima, before reversing course and returning to the East China Sea via the same route.
In response, JASDF scrambled fighters from the Southwestern Air Defense Force and other units to intercept and monitor the drones. The 9th Air Wing of the Southwestern Air Defense Force operates a fleet of Mitsubishi F-15J fighters, a domestically produced version of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.
The appearance of the GJ-2, a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) armed drone, marks a notable first for Japan’s air defense forces. Previously observed in operations around the Taiwan Strait, the GJ-2’s arrival near Japanese airspace highlights China’s growing reliance on unmanned aerial systems for surveillance and potential strike missions in contested areas.
Tensions in the East China Sea
Recently the East China Sea, particularly the airspace around Okinawa and the Senkaku Islands, has become a focal point for Chinese military activity, regularly prompting Japanese intercepts.
Just two days earlier, on February 24, 2025, Japanese radar detected two Chinese military aircraft flying a similar path over the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft were identified as two variants of the Y-9. One was dedicated to intelligence gathering, the other for maritime patrol. In response, the JASDF launched fighter jets to monitor and track their movements.
The Y-9 is a versatile platform used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Its appearance near Japanese airspace is a recurring event amid ongoing tensions between the two nations over territorial disputes and broader regional competition.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has repeatedly voiced concern over China’s expanding military presence in the region, warning that such activities could destabilize the regional security environment.
