Russian Spy Plane Detected off Coast of US Ally

Defence affairs analysis

Japan scrambled fighter jets Tuesday after a Russian surveillance plane deemed to pose a "risk of airspace violation," Japan's defense ministry said.The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Central Air Command dispatched fighter jets to intercept the plane.

Japan, which hosts over 52,000 American troops across more than 100 bases, is also a key part of the so-called First Island Chain—a line of allied and partner nations the Pentagon hopes to leverage in the event of a conflict with adversaries such as China.

Japanese defense officials have repeatedly expressed concern about Chinese and Russian military coordination and encroachment, including disputed Tokyo-controlled territories such as far-north Rebun Island.

The Russian aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol plane, was detected over the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, according to a statement from Japan's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

A flight path map released by officials showed the Il-38 taking a circuitous route along Japan's west coast within its air defense identification zone (ADIZ)—a pattern typical of aircraft conducting intelligence-gathering missions off Japan.

An ADIZ is an area where claimant states require foreign aircraft to identify themselves.

The Cold War-era Il-38 is Russia's counterpart to the U.S. P-3 Orion spy plane. While the four-engine turboprop is designed for anti-submarine warfare, it can also be used for search-and-rescue and mine-laying operations.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the Joint Staff reported that a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Dakai-class submarine rescue ship was tracked sailing through the Tsushima Strait, about 200 miles west of Japan's southwestern Goto Islands.

Japan's defense ministry said in its 2025 white paper, released earlier this month: "The Russian military is continuing active military activities in the vicinity of Japan and its surrounding areas, showing its tendency to deploy the latest military equipment in the Far East.