Joint Staff Chief Speaks on Chinese Radar Incident; Says Being Lit Up for 30 Minutes Would Be ‘Highly Stressful’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:02 JST, December 12, 2025

A top officer in the Self-Defense Forces has commented on the recent incident in which a Chinese military aircraft directed its radar at Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets, stating that it would have been a “highly stressful” experience for the SDF pilots.

Hiroaki Uchikura, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff, who has experience guarding against airspace violations as an F-15 fighter pilot, said, “I believe that [if it were me] I would have found it highly stressful to be continuously lit up for about 30 minutes.”

During a regular press conference on Thursday, Uchikura addressed the emergency scrambling of SDF aircraft against the Chinese military plane. “Given that their mission is to safeguard Japan’s airspace and protect the lives and property of citizens, it is only natural for the SDF to take appropriate measures against airspace violations in response to the launching of carrier-borne aircraft,” he said