Chinese military vessels and spy drones track Keen Sword war games off Japan
Japan says it has spotted PLA aircraft, spy drones and warships, including a supply ship that could support the Liaoning aircraft carrier, in recent days as Tokyo and Washington started drills focused on a potential Taiwan contingency. Three People’s Liberation Army military aircraft – two drones and a reconnaissance plane – flew through international airspace between Japanese islands into the…
Recent days have seen Chinese military vessels and spy drones actively monitoring the Keen Sword war games off Japan, as Tokyo and Washington initiated joint drills aimed at responding to a potential Taiwan contingency. On Monday, three People’s Liberation Army military aircraft – two drones and a reconnaissance plane – crossed international airspace between Japanese islands, heading towards the Pacific before returning.
The aircraft included a BZK-005 reconnaissance drone and a Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft, which flew from the East China Sea, passed through the Miyako Strait, and continued into the Pacific. A TB-001 reconnaissance and attack drone also passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan, flying northeast as far as waters off Amami Oshima before returning to mainland China.
These aircraft movements coincided with the start of the biennial Keen Sword military exercise between Japan and the United States, which will involve around 45,000 Japanese Self-Defence Forces personnel and 12,000 US troops. The exercise, running until October 29, will include the deployment of US anti-ship missile systems, the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), to Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost inhabited island.
This marks the first deployment of the missiles outside their garrison in Kumamoto prefecture since arriving earlier this year.
China's naval activity has also been closely monitored by Japan. Seven Chinese naval vessels were reported to be sailing through international waters, including the intelligence-collection ship Yuhengxing (hull number 798) and the Hulunhu combat-support ship (hull number 901), one of the world's largest naval replenishment ships. The Hulunhu, with a displacement of 45,000 to 48,000 tonnes, is described as the "super nanny" or "carrier mother" due to its role in supplying aircraft carrier strike groups.
China's constant military presence in the region has heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, which have been tense since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan's potential military intervention in case of a conflict over Taiwan in November. Despite China's claim that Taiwan is part of its territory, most countries, including the US, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state.
The US opposes any forcible reunification of Taiwan with mainland China and is committed to supplying weapons to the self-governing island.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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