South Korea scrambles fighter jets after Chinese, Russian warplanes enter air defence zone
South Korea deployed fighter jets on Saturday after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defence identification zone, prompting the military to take precautionary measures amid heightened regional tensions.
The military detected the incursion and responded by sending up jets to monitor the foreign warplanes as they traversed the zone. This precautionary action underscores the growing strategic pressure on South Korea as regional powers test air defence boundaries in the Indo-Pacific.
- South Korea's ADIZ has been a frequent site of tension, with China and Russia conducting joint exercises in the region since 2022.
- The fighter jets South Korea scrambled are typically F-15Ks, designed for high-speed interception and long-range monitoring.
- China and Russia have increasingly coordinated air operations in the Indo-Pacific, signaling a shared strategic challenge to US-allied defenses.
