LOC19:42
16:42 GMT
TOKYO, July 10 (KUNA) -- Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) scrambled
its fighter planes a record 115 times in the second quarter of this year in
response to foreign aircraft approaching Japanese airspace, the Defense
Ministry's Joint Staff said Wednesday. This marked the highest level for the
April-June period since comparable data became available in fiscal 2005.
By country, the largest number of operations in three months through June
30 was made against Chinese airplanes at 69 times, followed by Russian planes
at 31 times and North Korea's at nine.
The number of emergency take-offs by ASDF jets against Chinese aircraft has
increased since last September, when the Japanese government nationalized
three of the disputed islands in the East China Sea, which Japan, China and
Taiwan claim. Japanese intercepts of North Korean planes occurred for the
first time since 2009. (end)
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KUNA 101942 Jul 13NNNN