US Ally Scrambles Fighter Jets Against China’s Sea Spy Plane

Tokyo scrambled fighter planes over the weekend against a Chinese military aircraft that patrolled Western Pacific waters on consecutive days, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. Reports released on March 9 and 10 by the Joint Staff of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces each carried an image of China’s KQ-200 maritime patrol aircraft, which was photographed by Japanese pilots during its daytime sorties. The turboprop support plane with anti-submarine and maritime surveillance capabilities transited the Miyako Strait—between the Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa—during its sorties, the Joint Staff reports said. The Chinese navy did not disclose the reasons behind the maneuvers, and…