Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported a sharp increase in emergency interceptions by the Air Self-Defense Force in December 2025.
According to data released by the Joint Staff Office on January 16, 2026, there were 79 scramble launches to intercept foreign military aircraft approaching Japanese airspace in December alone.
For comparison, there were only 33 interception launches in November, an increase of 46 launches in just one month. These figures reflect continuous airspace monitoring operations conducted nationwide.
According to the Joint Staff Office, Chinese military aircraft accounted for 53 of the December interceptions, while Russian aircraft were responsible for 23.
Another three launches were classified by the Japanese ministry as “other,” a designation used when the aircraft’s origin is not immediately confirmed. No launches were recorded in response to North Korean or Taiwanese aircraft during the month.
The December data brought the total number of launches for the 2025 calendar year to 448, continuing a pattern of heightened aerial activity near Japan observed throughout the year.
The figures also show that launch activity peaked twice in the final quarter, with 71 launches in October and 79 in December, following a brief dip in November.
Most of the December launches occurred in southwestern Japanese airspace, which recorded 54 launches, according to the ministry’s breakdown. Northern airspace accounted for six launches, western airspace recorded 11, while central airspace accounted for eight.
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Photos: Wikimedia | X @jointstaffpa. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
