Shadow over japan
The Ministry of Defense of Japan reports: on the morning of February 8, Russian strategic missile carriers Tu-95MS were seen near Japanese airspace, accompanied by fighters and an A-50 early-warning aircraft. The Japanese F-15 and F-4 “Phantom” fighters were raised on alarm, and conducted a training interception of Russian aircraft. According to the official Tokyo, air violations did not occur. Nevertheless, the Japanese military are to some extent concerned about the appearance of Russian planes in the region, and even more so the DRLO plane, which for the first time approached such a small distance to the island nation.
The official representative of the Russian Air Force, Colonel V. Drik, confirmed the fact of flying around the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. He also acknowledged that the Russian aircraft did not enter the airspace of Japan, but made their flight exclusively over neutral waters. In a statement, the press service of the Air Force indicated the exact composition of the group of domestic air force planes that participated in the flights. These were two strategic missile-carriers Tu-95MS, which departed from the Ukrainka air base in the Far East, two reconnaissance aircraft Su-24 and AEW aircraft A-50. Also in some parts of the flight, the group was accompanied by Su-27 fighters. The 16 hourly patrol of the water area was carried out thanks to refueling in flight: the Il-78 tanker provided fuel for the departure participants. According to Drik, the main purpose of the flight was to work out the interaction of airplanes of different classes, as well as to train actions on non-oriented terrain, which is the marine and oceanic waters.
These are all official words and statements. As it turned out, they are far from the most interesting things associated with the flight of a group of Russian aircraft. Separately, it should be said about the reaction of some Japanese citizens and organizations. The fact is that February 7 in Japan celebrates the so-called. Day of the Northern Territories (as the Southern Kuril Islands is called in the Land of the Rising Sun). Traditionally, this holiday activates various right-wing organizations, very often allowing themselves, at a minimum, scandalous antics. For example, last year, these characters had the audacity to make a picket near the Russian embassy in Tokyo, which desecrated the Russian flag. In response to an official protest, Japan refused to conduct an investigation and take appropriate action. Probably, not recovering from the patriotic frenzy of 7, the same ultra-right subjects of the eighth and ninth began to react very painfully to the teachings of the Russian Air Force. There were several demonstrations under the slogans frankly boorish nature. Official Tokyo behaves more decently, but still asks Russia to continue not to make such overflights of the Japanese archipelago. However, due to the peculiarities of international law, the rejection of such exercises is solely the right of our Air Force: as long as Japan’s airspace is not violated, you can fly as much as you like in neutral waters.
Probably the main cause of concern for the Japanese is the fact that from anywhere on the Tu-95MS route it was theoretically possible to launch rockets. In this case, all the Japanese islands would be in the zone of action of the latter. Of course, Russia is not going to fight with Japan now or in the future, but the fact of flights of potentially dangerous missile carriers in the area from which you can only fire missiles, not direct fire, is in itself a serious signal to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Admittedly, the Japanese pilots responded in time to the appearance of the missile carriers: about ten fighters were raised in alarm (in some sources the figure in 13 and even 15 of the sides is called). In this case, the implementation of training interception is not something out of the ordinary. Such actions are de facto the standard for the Air Force of the whole world — as soon as foreign aircraft appear near their own airspace, their fighters rise into the air. On this occasion, there is even a joke: “against the background of the Tu-95, all the post-war fighters of the NATO countries were photographed.” And in this joke, as they say, only a fraction of the joke.
Only a training interception is only partly useful, because it mainly contributes to the maintenance of the working form of personnel responsible for the protection of air borders. However, in fact, the Tu-95S rocket carriers to conduct an attack need not even approach the airspace of the enemy: the range of launching X-55 rockets of different versions exceeds two and a half thousand kilometers. With such a range and speed of a missile flight over 900 km / h, it is only possible to intercept the missile carrier effectively at the turn of the launch. And this requires constant patrol of dangerous areas.
No matter how many planes participate in training flights, no matter how many fighters take off to intercept and no matter how the parties react to each other’s actions, flights of the eighth will be forgotten sooner or later. Together with them, meetings, scandals and other troubles will be forgotten. However, the actions of our pilots, which can be interpreted as a hint of the return of Russia to the region, may provoke some actions from Japan. There was information that by the spring Tokyo and Washington would finally agree on the fate of the American base on the island of Okinawa. The official reason for the Japanese requirements to transfer the air base is its location: it is located in the center of Ginowan. According to local residents and officials, this poses a threat to the safety of local residents. From time to time, various unpleasant incidents take place, during which houses in the alignment of the runway are “under attack”. In October, flights of the F-15 fighters were discontinued for some time: an additional fuel tank dropped from one of them when flying over residential buildings. No one was hurt, but flights of this type of aircraft resumed only after three weeks already under the new program, which allows them to manage with their own vehicle tanks. The other day, one of the highways of the Kanagawa Prefecture was “bombarded” from an EA-6B Prowler aircraft. During the flight, large parts began to come off of it: the largest of the discovered ones has dimensions 120x180; see. Fortunately, this time there were no casualties or damage. Probably, Japan has more serious political grounds for transferring the airbase from Okinawa, but the danger to local residents is still cited as the official version. In turn, the United States does not want to leave the region. In addition, Washington calls the North Pacific a zone of its interests. Perhaps the Americans will go to great lengths, just to not lose such a convenient and useful base.
Among other things, a statement to accelerate negotiations may be a consequence of flights of the Russian air group. But as far as this is true, only senior officials of the USA and Japan can say. On the other hand, this version can be checked “experimentally” - with new flights in the area of the Japanese archipelago. Let us hope that soon such teachings will be repeated again. And not only in the Far East, but also in the traditional areas of patrolling the far aviation: North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, etc.
The official representative of the Russian Air Force, Colonel V. Drik, confirmed the fact of flying around the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. He also acknowledged that the Russian aircraft did not enter the airspace of Japan, but made their flight exclusively over neutral waters. In a statement, the press service of the Air Force indicated the exact composition of the group of domestic air force planes that participated in the flights. These were two strategic missile-carriers Tu-95MS, which departed from the Ukrainka air base in the Far East, two reconnaissance aircraft Su-24 and AEW aircraft A-50. Also in some parts of the flight, the group was accompanied by Su-27 fighters. The 16 hourly patrol of the water area was carried out thanks to refueling in flight: the Il-78 tanker provided fuel for the departure participants. According to Drik, the main purpose of the flight was to work out the interaction of airplanes of different classes, as well as to train actions on non-oriented terrain, which is the marine and oceanic waters.
These are all official words and statements. As it turned out, they are far from the most interesting things associated with the flight of a group of Russian aircraft. Separately, it should be said about the reaction of some Japanese citizens and organizations. The fact is that February 7 in Japan celebrates the so-called. Day of the Northern Territories (as the Southern Kuril Islands is called in the Land of the Rising Sun). Traditionally, this holiday activates various right-wing organizations, very often allowing themselves, at a minimum, scandalous antics. For example, last year, these characters had the audacity to make a picket near the Russian embassy in Tokyo, which desecrated the Russian flag. In response to an official protest, Japan refused to conduct an investigation and take appropriate action. Probably, not recovering from the patriotic frenzy of 7, the same ultra-right subjects of the eighth and ninth began to react very painfully to the teachings of the Russian Air Force. There were several demonstrations under the slogans frankly boorish nature. Official Tokyo behaves more decently, but still asks Russia to continue not to make such overflights of the Japanese archipelago. However, due to the peculiarities of international law, the rejection of such exercises is solely the right of our Air Force: as long as Japan’s airspace is not violated, you can fly as much as you like in neutral waters.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich, Russia warned Japan at the end of January about the flight of strategic bombers of the Russian Federation in the Far East, Interfax reports. “We told this directly and frankly to our Japanese colleagues during the negotiations in Tokyo,” he said.
Probably the main cause of concern for the Japanese is the fact that from anywhere on the Tu-95MS route it was theoretically possible to launch rockets. In this case, all the Japanese islands would be in the zone of action of the latter. Of course, Russia is not going to fight with Japan now or in the future, but the fact of flights of potentially dangerous missile carriers in the area from which you can only fire missiles, not direct fire, is in itself a serious signal to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Admittedly, the Japanese pilots responded in time to the appearance of the missile carriers: about ten fighters were raised in alarm (in some sources the figure in 13 and even 15 of the sides is called). In this case, the implementation of training interception is not something out of the ordinary. Such actions are de facto the standard for the Air Force of the whole world — as soon as foreign aircraft appear near their own airspace, their fighters rise into the air. On this occasion, there is even a joke: “against the background of the Tu-95, all the post-war fighters of the NATO countries were photographed.” And in this joke, as they say, only a fraction of the joke.
Only a training interception is only partly useful, because it mainly contributes to the maintenance of the working form of personnel responsible for the protection of air borders. However, in fact, the Tu-95S rocket carriers to conduct an attack need not even approach the airspace of the enemy: the range of launching X-55 rockets of different versions exceeds two and a half thousand kilometers. With such a range and speed of a missile flight over 900 km / h, it is only possible to intercept the missile carrier effectively at the turn of the launch. And this requires constant patrol of dangerous areas.
No matter how many planes participate in training flights, no matter how many fighters take off to intercept and no matter how the parties react to each other’s actions, flights of the eighth will be forgotten sooner or later. Together with them, meetings, scandals and other troubles will be forgotten. However, the actions of our pilots, which can be interpreted as a hint of the return of Russia to the region, may provoke some actions from Japan. There was information that by the spring Tokyo and Washington would finally agree on the fate of the American base on the island of Okinawa. The official reason for the Japanese requirements to transfer the air base is its location: it is located in the center of Ginowan. According to local residents and officials, this poses a threat to the safety of local residents. From time to time, various unpleasant incidents take place, during which houses in the alignment of the runway are “under attack”. In October, flights of the F-15 fighters were discontinued for some time: an additional fuel tank dropped from one of them when flying over residential buildings. No one was hurt, but flights of this type of aircraft resumed only after three weeks already under the new program, which allows them to manage with their own vehicle tanks. The other day, one of the highways of the Kanagawa Prefecture was “bombarded” from an EA-6B Prowler aircraft. During the flight, large parts began to come off of it: the largest of the discovered ones has dimensions 120x180; see. Fortunately, this time there were no casualties or damage. Probably, Japan has more serious political grounds for transferring the airbase from Okinawa, but the danger to local residents is still cited as the official version. In turn, the United States does not want to leave the region. In addition, Washington calls the North Pacific a zone of its interests. Perhaps the Americans will go to great lengths, just to not lose such a convenient and useful base.
Among other things, a statement to accelerate negotiations may be a consequence of flights of the Russian air group. But as far as this is true, only senior officials of the USA and Japan can say. On the other hand, this version can be checked “experimentally” - with new flights in the area of the Japanese archipelago. Let us hope that soon such teachings will be repeated again. And not only in the Far East, but also in the traditional areas of patrolling the far aviation: North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, etc.
Information