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ChiCom airliner equipped with radar pod enters Japanese air space
From East-Asia-Intel, subscription
A Chinese electronic reconnaissance aircraft intruded into Japan’s air defense identification zone recently, prompting renewed concerns over China’s military activities.
Probing, ever probing.
The Chinese have used a civilian aircraft modified for electronic intelligence-gathering to penetrate the air defense zone several times since October, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported last week. Japanese Air Self Defense Force (ASDF) fighters scrambled to intercept the jet and spotted a radar pod on the Chinese jet’s airframe.
"We've got an electronics surveillance plane up here masquerading as an airliner, instructions."
“China's aim is to extract more information on the radar of the Self Defense Forces (SDF) by disguising civilian passenger planes and intensifying the gathering of radio-wave [intelligence] in the area around the gas fields,” the newspaper reported, quoting government sources. “For an attack by fighter aircraft, it is essential to neutralize the other party's radar,” the report said. “It would appear that the objective of China's reconnaissance activities is to analyze the SDF's radio waves in preparation for that, and the East China Sea is exhibiting the look of information warfare.”
More food for the worry-plate.
The aircraft was identified as a Tu-154MD, a Russian-built passenger jet.
It's a passenger jet like the EC-135 is a passenger jet.
It was the first time the Tupelov had been detected in Japanese air space.
If it has a radar pod, it's no longer a 'passenger' jet.
Japanese forces have detected Y-8EW electronic reconnaissance aircraft around the disputed gas fields off the East China Sea more than 10 times last year. The aircraft are based in Shanghai.
Would be cool to make an EMP and fry the little bugger's electronics. Wonder if the planes are hardened against EMP.
A Japan Defense Agency official said Tu-154MD "symbolizes the rapid upgrading of their military and technical capabilities."
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-01-27
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=140856