Global & US Headlines
Chinese Carrier-Based J-15s Radar-Lock Japanese F-15s off Okinawa
On 6 Dec 2025 two Chinese J-15 fighters from the carrier Liaoning intermittently aimed fire-control radar at Japanese F-15s southeast of Okinawa, prompting Tokyo’s first formal protest over an air-to-air radar lock with China.
Focusing Facts
- Incident times: 16:32–16:35 and 18:37–19:08 local, each detected by different Japanese F-15s over international waters.
- Aircraft involved: PLA Navy J-15s launched from carrier Liaoning operating with three destroyers; no injuries or damage reported.
- Japan says this is the first recorded radar-lock between Chinese and Japanese military aircraft, though a 2013 PLA ship locked radar on a Japanese destroyer.
Context
Momentary electronic cross-hairs hide a century-long contest. Radar-locking recalls the Feb 2013 PLA frigate’s illumination of the JSYudachi and the 2001 EP-3/Hainan intercept—flashpoints that did not escalate but signalled shifting power balances. Today’s encounter fits a decade-old pattern of PLA ‘gray-zone’ probes around Senkaku/Diaoyu and the Taiwan Strait, testing rules without firing shots. Japan’s swift public protest under hard-line PM Takaichi, and Australia’s echo, show a growing lattice of hedging coalitions—a 21st-century echo of the 1930s when maritime incidents (e.g., the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge skirmish) spiralled amid mutual mistrust. Over a 100-year arc, such electronic sabre-rattling matters less for the radar pulses themselves than for normalising hostile tactical procedures in crowded skies where miscalculation can trigger treaty obligations and draw in the U.S. The episode also illustrates how both capitals weaponise narrative: Tokyo highlights danger to justify record defense budgets; Beijing counters with ‘harassment’ claims to frame lawful presence. Whether these brushes remain symbolic or evolve into kinetic clashes will shape East Asia’s security architecture long after today’s blips fade from the scope.
Perspectives
Japanese national media
NHK, The Japan Times — Portray the radar-lock as an extraordinary, dangerous provocation by China that confirms growing security threats and warrants a strong protest from Tokyo. Reporting closely follows Defense Ministry briefings and supports Japan’s military build-up, so it foregrounds Chinese aggression while minimizing how Japan’s recent Taiwan remarks or F-15 intercept actions may have contributed to the encounter.
International Western outlets
Al Jazeera, Sky News, Reuters wire copy — Frame the incident as the latest flash-point in wider Indo-Pacific tensions, citing Japan’s claim of a ‘dangerous act’ while also noting Beijing’s denial and linking the episode to disputes over Taiwan and freedom of navigation. To sustain global audience interest these outlets emphasise the drama of a near-miss and largely source information from government press statements, which can reinforce a ‘China versus rules-based order’ narrative and underplay routine intercept dynamics.
Southeast Asian regional press
Free Malaysia Today, The Manila Times — Highlight Japan and Australia’s joint call for calm after the radar incident, stressing diplomatic management of the dispute rather than assigning clear blame. Given their countries’ economic interdependence with both China and U.S. allies, coverage adopts a cautious tone that soft-pedals accusations against Beijing and centres on moderation to avoid alienating any side.