Keen Sword 27: Chinese warships, drones and Y-9s around Japan, and Russian Il-20s over the Sea of Japan

While Japanese and American forces exercise in Keen Sword 27, Chinese warships, intelligence-gathering aircraft and unmanned aircraft are passing through the sea lanes around Japan’s southwestern islands, and Russian Il-20s are flying over the Sea of Japan. The Joint Staff of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces recorded the movements in successive announcements from October 16 to 23.

The exercise, which had been announced with an emphasis on defending the southwestern islands (see our report on the Marines’ training on Okinawa), began on Monday, October 19 with an opening ceremony and runs until October 29. According to the American briefing, about 45,000 Japanese and 11,000 American personnel are taking part, with 260 aircraft and 40 ships, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. It is the 18th time the exercise is held as a field exercise, per the Japanese staff. Because of Typhoon Champi, which was expected to hit the southwestern islands on October 22, organisers are adjusting activities day by day.

Chinese ships

The first Chinese move was logged on the eve. Around 16:00 on Friday, October 16, about 220 km south of Miyako, the Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer 122, Jiangkai II-class frigate 576 and Fuchi-class replenishment ship 889. On Saturday, October 17 they passed between Okinawa and Miyako into the East China Sea, shadowed by P-1 aircraft.

That Friday evening, around 23:00, a second Luyang III (121) and the Fuyu-class fast combat support ship 901 were moving southeast, about 140 km west of Kuchinoerabu Island, and the next day passed through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific. Two Dongdiao-class intelligence ships followed: 796 was spotted northwest of Kume moving south and entered the Pacific through the Okinawa-Miyako strait, while 798 crossed the Osumi Strait on October 17 and 18. On Monday, October 19, the day the exercise began, Jiangkai II frigate 532 followed the same route through Osumi, with the destroyer Teruzuki and P-1s watching it.

Chinese drones and Russian Il-20s

Chinese unmanned aircraft also flew that day. A BZK-005 reconnaissance drone and a Y-9 intelligence aircraft crossed the Okinawa-Miyako strait into the Pacific, circled and returned the same way. Meanwhile a TB-001 reconnaissance and strike drone entered the Pacific through the passage between Yonaguni and Taiwan, reached as far as off Amami Oshima and returned through Okinawa-Miyako. On October 20 and 21 new Y-9 flights followed, toward Amami Oshima and over the East China Sea. In every case Air Self-Defense Force fighters scrambled.

In the north, there was Russian activity. An Il-20 intelligence aircraft flew on Saturday, October 17 over the Sea of Japan as far as off Kyoto and returned. Similar flights as far as off Shimane were repeated on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23. All three times, fighters of the Northern Air Defense Command scrambled.

This year Keen Sword also includes moving the American NMESIS and MADIS systems and GATOR radars to the Sakishima islands aboard Japanese C-2 and C-130 aircraft, at critical sea passages. A few days earlier the Liaoning carrier had passed through the same Okinawa-Miyako strait escorted by three destroyers; see our report on the Liaoning.