Aircraft enter sequentially over East Sea, South Sea before departing; Air Force fighters scrambled in response
Dozens of Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's Korea Air Defense Identification Zone over the East Sea and South Sea in sequence Saturday morning before departing, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
South Korea's military said it had identified the aircraft before they entered KADIZ and scrambled Air Force fighters to carry out tactical measures in preparation for any contingency.
The JCS said no violation of South Korean airspace occurred.
Military authorities routinely assess whether prior notification was given and review flight paths when foreign military aircraft enter KADIZ, scrambling fighters when necessary to manage the situation.
An air defense identification zone is a self-declared boundary set by a country to allow early identification of and response to military aircraft approaching its airspace. It is distinct from sovereign airspace, which falls under each nation's jurisdiction.
Under established international practice, military aircraft entering another country's air defense identification zone are expected to file a flight plan in advance and report their position upon entry.
rimsclub@heraldcorp.com
