1987 Okinawan Tu-16 airspace violation

The 1987 Okinawan Tu-16 airspace violation (対ソ連軍領空侵犯機警告射撃事件, Tai Soren-gun ryōkū shinpan-ki keikoku shageki jiken) was an incident on December 9, 1987 in which a Tupolev Tu-16P Badger J1 (an electronic warfare version of the Tu-16 bomber) of the Soviet Air Force repeatedly entered Japanese airspace over Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures. This prompted a F-4EJ Phantom fighter of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) to fire warning shots on two occasions. It was the first time aircraft of the JASDF had done so in response to an aircraft intruding in Japanese airspace.[1] The Soviet Union apologized, claiming that the intrusion was accidental and due to meteorological conditions.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference histories was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Japanese Jet Warns Soviet Plane December 10, 1987 The New York Times Retrieved August 14, 2017
  3. ^ Japan Given Apology by Soviet December 11, 1987 The New York Times Retrieved August 14, 2017
  4. ^ Soviet Union apologizes to Japan over airspace violation December 16, 1987 United Press International Retrieved August 14, 2017