DEFENSE ALERT: Chinese J-15 fighter jets from aircraft carrier Liaoning lock radar on Japanese aircraft.

Two Chinese Navy J-15 fighter jets reportedly locked their fire control radars on Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft near Okinawa on December 6, 2025. Tokyo says the move marks one of the most serious confrontations in recent years and reflects rising military pressure in the East China Sea.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on December 7, 2025, that two J-15 carrier-based fighters launched from China’s Liaoning strike group locked their fire control radars on Japanese Self Defense Forces aircraft on December 6, 2025, during operations south of Okinawa. Japanese officials called the action highly provocative, noting that radar locking is interpreted as a precursor to missile engagement and is seldom used outside combat settings. Tokyo said the JSDF aircraft completed their mission without altering course, and the government has filed a formal protest through diplomatic channels.
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Chinese J-15 fighter jets on the deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning during recent Chinese Navy operations. The carrier’s air wing was involved in a radar lock-on incident against Japanese military aircraft near Okinawa, reflecting China's increasingly assertive carrier-based air power and rising tensions in the East China Sea. (Picture source: China MoD)

The Chinese Navy J-15 fighter jets, launched from the aircraft carrier Liaoning, engaged in flight operations south of the Okinawa island chain as part of a PLA Navy carrier strike group that included three guided-missile destroyers. During these operations, two Japanese surveillance aircraft were targeted with radar lock-ons by the Chinese fighters. Fire-control radar use during peacetime is regarded as an aggressive action, simulating the final targeting phase of a missile launch, and is rarely employed in standard intercept procedures.

Japan scrambled F-15J fighters from Naha Air Base after electronic intelligence units confirmed the radar lock-ons. Airborne early warning aircraft also recorded the emissions, eliminating ambiguity about the incident. Although no missiles were fired, this deliberate use of tracking radar against manned Japanese platforms constitutes one of the most serious aerial incidents involving China in the region to date.

The J-15, based on the Russian Su-33 and equipped with Chinese-made radar systems and missiles such as the PL-12 and PL-15, is a heavy multirole fighter specifically designed for carrier operations. Its combat effectiveness, previously limited by the absence of catapults on carrier decks, is now being transformed as China’s naval aviation enters a new era of carrier warfare—backed by technological advances and strategic ambition.

Over the past decade, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) has rapidly shifted from coastal defense to blue-water operations. This transformation began with the 2012 commissioning of Liaoning, a retrofitted Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier acquired from Ukraine and China’s first step into naval aviation. Initially a training platform, Liaoning soon became operational, hosting regular J-15 flight operations and live-fire drills.

Following the 2012 milestone, the 2019 launch of the Shandong, China’s first domestically built carrier, streamlined carrier evolution by incorporating improvements in layout, aircraft handling, and support systems. Despite continued reliance on a ski-jump launch system that limited sortie rates and payloads, the Shandong enhanced the PLAN’s dual-carrier deployments and persistent operations in contested maritime zones such as the South and East China Seas.

The most significant leap in carrier capabilities came in November 2025 with the launch of the Fujian, the PLAN’s third and most advanced carrier. With electromagnetic catapults, integrated electric propulsion, and a larger flight deck, the Fujian ushers China into next-generation carrier operations. Designed from the keel up to rival U.S. Navy flat-tops in tempo, air wing, and technology, the Fujian is expected to field over 60 aircraft, including a next-generation stealth fighter.

Looking ahead, China has already confirmed construction of a fourth carrier, expected to be nuclear-powered. This future development would enable sustained deployments without the logistical constraints of conventional fuel resupply and would allow for longer range and higher sortie generation. Such a platform would also signal China’s intent to maintain a continuous presence not only in the Indo-Pacific but eventually in the Indian Ocean, and potentially near African and Middle Eastern maritime routes.

As China’s carrier force has expanded, so too has its operational reach. Over the past five years, PLA Navy carrier strike groups have conducted increasingly sophisticated exercises far from Chinese shores, transiting the Miyako Strait, operating near the Bashi Channel, and now moving routinely through the waters south of Okinawa. These exercises have featured coordinated air-sea operations, anti-submarine warfare drills, and combat air patrols involving J-15 fighters supported by airborne early warning aircraft and electronic warfare platforms.

For Japan, this transformation represents a direct and escalating strategic challenge. The December 6 radar lock-on incident demonstrates that Chinese carrier-based air power has shifted from symbolic acts or training to an operational capability, actively probing regional responses and altering air superiority near Japanese territory.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense is reconsidering its air defense posture around Okinawa, weighing enhanced electronic countermeasures and expanded AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) patrols. The incident underscores the urgency in updating rules of engagement for encounters with carrier-capable adversaries. The presence of U.S. forces in the area heightens the strategic complexity and risks tied to potential miscalculation.

With growing carrier numbers, China signals its intent to operate PLAN strike groups globally. The East China Sea remains pivotal, serving as the main stage in the evolving contest for regional air and sea dominance.

The December 6, 2025, encounter near Okinawa may soon be a defining moment, signaling that the era of Chinese carrier-based military pressure in Japan’s immediate vicinity has decisively arrived.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.