Russian SU-35 Fighter Spotted over Sea of Japan

September 21, 2018

Tokyo- An SU-35 multirole Russian air force fighter flew over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, leading the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets, Japan's Defense Ministry has said.

It was the first time for the ASDF to spot a Russian SU-35 flying near Japan by scrambling its fighter jets.

The Russian aircraft did not intrude into Japanese airspace during the flight, according to the ministry.

The SU-35 and two other aircraft, including an SU-24 surveillance plane, flew over Sea of Japan waters off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, ministry officials said.

Through the move, Russia apparently tried to check Japan's radar detection capabilities and the ASDF's scramble system, according to informed sources.

Russia has been deploying SU-35 aircraft in the Far East region since 2014. Jiji Press