Part ⅢPart Ⅲ Chapter 1 Three Pillars of Japan’s Defense (Means to Achieve the Objectives of Defense) Japan’s Own Architecture for National Defense Response from Peacetime to Grey Zone Situations Persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) in the Area Surrounding Japan ● The Self-Defense Forces (SDF) is engaged in persistent intelligence collection and warning and surveillance during peacetime over Japan’s territorial waters and airspace, as well as the surrounding sea and airspace so that it can respond to various contingencies immediately and seamlessly. GSDF personnel engaged in warning and surveillance activities MSDF P-3C conducting warning and surveillance activity in the area surrounding Japan ASDF radar site engaging in warning and surveillance activities 24 hours a day and 365 days a year ● As part of its regular warning and surveillance activities in Japanese territorial waters, the SDF is carrying out information gathering on vessels suspected of violating the UN Security Council sanctions. During the period from 2018 to the end of March 2020, the SDF has observed 24 cases of seaborne rendezvous by (ship-to-ship transfer) North Korean vessels. ● In response to these illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers by North Korean vessels, the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France carried out early warning surveillance activities with aircraft using the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Japan. In addition, naval vessels of the U.S. Navy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and France carried out enforcement of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea in sea areas surrounding Japan. Warnings and Emergency Takeoffs (Scrambles) in Preparation against Intrusion of Territorial Airspace ● The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) detects and identifies aircraft flying in airspace surrounding Japan using warning and control radars as well as early-warning and control aircraft. If any suspicious aircraft heading to Japan’s territorial airspace are detected, fighters and other aircraft scramble to approach them in order to confirm the situation and monitor the aircraft as necessary. ● In FY2019, ASDF aircraft scrambled 947 times, the third largest ever recorded. Breaking this figure down, ASDF aircraft scrambled 675 times in response to Chinese aircraft, and 268 times in response to Russian aircraft. 27 DEFENSE OF JAPAN 2020 Small ship of unidentified nationality A North Korea-flagged tanker strongly suspected of committing a ship-to-ship transfer (December 2012) NAM SAM 8 Number and Breakdown of Scrambles since the Cold War (Times) 1,168 1,200 1,000 812 800 999 943 944 851 464 567 600 386 400 311 299 220 200 0 158 124 1984* 1989 1993 Note: Peaked during the Cold War 1998 2003 Russia 2009 China 500 638 390 343 2017 2018 675 306 96 156 264 247 2010 2011 Taiwan 571 415 947 425 38 197 904 873 810 248 2012 Others 359 2013 Total 473 2014 288 301 2015 2016 268 2019 (FY)