Russian Aerospace Forces and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force conducted joint exercises in the Sea of Japan

Today, December 9, the Russian Aerospace Forces and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force conducted joint large-scale exercises involving strategic bombers in the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western part of the Pacific Ocean.

Around midnight UTC, four Russian Tu-95MSes departed from Ukrainka Air Base and headed to the Sea of Japan. Another Tu-95MS departed from Ukrainka Air Base around 03:00 UTC.

The Tu-95MSes conducted simulated Kh-101 missile launches over the Japanese Archipelago at around 03:30 UTC.

Two Il-78Ms from Belaya Air Base provided aerial refueling for Russian Tu-95MSs over the Sea of Japan from 09:00 to 12:30 UTC.

Russian Tu-95MS then made their way into the East China Sea, where they met two Chinese H-6K and joined together into a combined strike group.

During the training mission, the A-50U (RF-50606, Red 51) over the Sea of Japan acted as a command post and maintained communication with a Project 1155 large anti-submarine ship operating in the Sea of Okhotsk.

From the Chinese side, the airspace was controlled by a KJ-500A. The bombers were escorted by Chinese J-16s and J-11s, together with Russian Su-30SMs (RF-81700, Blue 51; RF-91815, Red 17).

In the flight response, F-15s of the Republic of Korea Air Force and F-35s of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force were scrambled.

By AviVector