'''Japan's claim:'''
off the coast of the [[Noto Peninsula]]{{Cite web |url=https://www.mod.go.jp/e/press/release/2018/12/28z.html |title=Regarding the incident of an ROK naval vessel directing its fire-control radar at an MSDF patrol aircraft |access-date=2 July 2021 |archive-date=28 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228093825/http://www.mod.go.jp/e/press/release/2018/12/28z.html |url-status=dead}}
'''South Korea's claim:'''
{{convert|100|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}northeast of the [[Liancourt Rocks]]{{Cite web|url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/international/japan/875429.html|title = \"한국군함,자위대초계기에'사격통제레이더' 쐈다\"일본거센항의|date = 21 December 2018}}"},"result":{"wt":"* Strain in [[Japan–South Korea relations]]\n* Both sides agree to drop the issue"},"combatant1":{"wt":"{{flagu|South Korea}}"},"combatant2":{"wt":"{{flagu|Japan}}"},"units1":{"wt":"{{Naval|South Korea|name=ROK Navy}}
{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Korean Coast Guard.svg}}[[Korea Coast Guard|ROK Coast Guard]]"},"units2":{"wt":"{{Navy|Japan|name=Japan MSDF}}"},"strength1":{"wt":"1 destroyer\n*[[ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great|ROKS ''Gwanggaeto the Great'']] \n1 Coast Guard cutter"},"strength2":{"wt":"1 maritime patrol aircraft"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwCQ">@media all and (min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .desktop-float-right{box-sizing:border-box;float:right;clear:right}}.mw-parser-output .infobox.vevent .status>p:first-child{margin:0}
2018 Japan–South Korea radar lock-on dispute | |||||||
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Video footage from the P-1 aircraft, released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Units involved | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
1 destroyer 1 Coast Guard cutter | 1 maritime patrol aircraft |
On 17 November 2022, the ROK Navy claimed that it had not irradiated radar. [63]
On 4 June 2024, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup held talks as part of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and agreed to accelerate working-level discussions to resolve the radar dispute, with a focus on outlining "steps to prevent a recurrence". [64]
On 2 June 2024, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue and agreed to normalize relations between their respective militaries and resume defense cooperation and exchanges. Characterizing the radar lock-on dispute as an obstacle to security cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as tripartite cooperation with the United States, the two countries released a document detailing measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident. In the document, the JMSDF and the South Korean navy undertook to comply with the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, and agreed to improve communications and build trust. No mention was made regarding the exact chain of events in the 2018 incident, effectively putting the matter to rest. [65] [66] [67]
Toshio Tamogami, a retired general and ex–chief of staff of the JASDF, has given his views on Twitter denying the offensiveness of aiming FC radar. [68] However, Toshiyuki Ito, a retired JMSDF admiral and ex-commandant of the Joint Staff College, rebutted Tamogami's view since the former had been retired for ten years and has no experience as a pilot. [69]
The South Korean government claimed this flight of P-1 was menacing and unfriendly to the warship of a neighboring country which was operating a rescue mission in the high seas. According to the South Korean government, it was Japan and not South Korea that acted improperly in this incident and should apologize. [70] However, Paul Giarra, a retired U.S. naval aviator and ex-senior Country Director for Japan in the Office of the ASD (ISA), pointed it out that there was absolutely no danger in the actions of the Japanese aircraft. [71]
Some South Korean media were concerned about the friction between Seoul and Tokyo. On 7 January 2019, a JoongAng Daily editorial argued that the two governments "should join forces to address the nuclear threats from North Korea and other urgent issues" and that "This emotional fighting does not help. Though what really happened at the moment has not yet been found, either side did not suffer substantial damage. Therefore, if [the South] Korean destroyer really aimed its FCR at the approaching airplane, our military authorities should apologize to Japan and wrap up the case. If the Japanese aircraft was really confused about the radar signal, it should apologize", and that "[i]t is time to take a deep breath and find a reasonable solution". [72]
While there is no international law regulating the altitude of military flights, Japan, the U.S. military, and NATO assert they follow the custom of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to keep a distance of 150 meters (490 ft) from vessels under normal operations. [73]
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system, which uses computers and radars to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. It was developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
The Republic of Korea Navy, also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which functions as a branch of the Navy. The ROK Navy has about 70,000 regular personnel including 29,000 Republic of Korea Marines. There are about 140 commissioned ships in the ROK Navy. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The ROK Marine Corps has about 300 tracked vehicles including assault amphibious vehicles.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, abbreviated JMSDF, also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) after World War II. The JMSDF has a fleet of 154 ships, 346 aircraft and 50,800 personnel.
The Kawasaki P-1, previously P-X, XP-1, is a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft developed and manufactured by Kawasaki Aerospace Company. Unlike many maritime patrol aircraft, which are typically conversions of civilian designs, the P-1 is a purpose-built maritime aircraft with no civil counterpart and was designed from the onset for the role. It has the distinction of being the first operational aircraft in the world to make use of a fly-by-optics control system.
The Republic of Korea Navy was founded on November 11, 1945 as Marine Defense Group after Korea was liberated from the Empire of Japan. The ROK Navy is the oldest service within the ROK Armed Forces. In 2015, the South Korean navy celebrated its 70th anniversary.
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JS Ōnami (DD-111) is the second vessel of the Takanami-class destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Sazanami (さざなみ) is the fourth vessel of the Takanami-class destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Izumo (DDH-183) is a helicopter carrier which, as of 2022, is being converted into a light aircraft carrier. Officially classified as a multi-purpose operation destroyer, she is the lead ship in the Izumo class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She is the second warship to be named for Izumo Province, with the previous ship being the armored cruiser Izumo (1898).
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ROKS Marado (LPH-6112) is the second ship of the Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship of the Republic of Korea Navy.
JS Abukuma (DE-229) is the lead ship of the Abukuma-class destroyer escorts. She was commissioned on 12 December 1989.
The Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) program consists of a planned 12 OPV-type patrol vessels to be operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
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Japan–South Korea radar lock-on dispute South Korean Navy radar lock-on incident | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 韓国海軍レーダー照射問題 | ||||
Hiragana | かんこくかいぐんレーダーしょうしゃもんだい | ||||
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Korean name | |||||
Hangul | 한일해상군사분쟁 | ||||
Hanja | 韓日海上軍事紛爭 | ||||
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The 2018 Japan–South Korea radar lock-on dispute is about an incident between a Japanese airplane and a South Korean warship. The aircraft was part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF),while the vessel was part of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). The event occurred on 20 December 2018,without the firing of any weapon,and was followed by a large diplomatic dispute between Japan and South Korea. In June 2024,both countries agreed on steps to prevent a recurrence,effectively dropping the issue without resolving the exact circumstances around the event itself.
According to the Japanese government, [3] a South Korean naval destroyer,ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great, [4] directed its STIR-180 fire-control radar at a maritime patrol aircraft,Kawasaki P-1 belonging to the Fleet Air Wing 4 of JMSDF,which was conducting surveillance off the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan on Thursday 20 December 2018 at around 3:00 p.m. (JST). [3] [5] According to Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD),aiming the fire-control (FC) radar at a plane is violation of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), [6] as a lock with the FC radar is generally considered as a hostile act one step before actual firing. [7] The MOD further said the irradiation of the P-1 plane by the radar hit multiple times continuously over a certain period. [4]
In contrast,the South Korean government denied Japan's claims,stating that it was not operating a STIR-180 radar (FC radar) but MW08 radar for the rescue when the Japanese airplane arrived at the site. The MW08 radar is a 3D radar for medium-range air and surface surveillance,target acquisition and tracking,capable of gun control against surface targets. [8] MW08 can be used as an FC radar,but it is not connected with the fire-control system in the destroyer. [9] [10] In addition,South Korea claimed that the Japanese aircraft made a threatening "8-shape" flight continuously at a distance of 500 meters (1,600 ft) and altitude of 150 meters (490 ft) while the warship was participating in the rescue of a distressed North Korean fishing boat. [11]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2018 | |
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Shipwrecks |
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Other incidents |
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