The rattle of Okinawa: Chinese drones probe Japan’s defences

For Tokyo, it was not just a test of its air defences but a preview of the future, analysts say, as Beijing seeks to normalise its military presence in the region while testing Japan’s response. Last Wednesday, two Chinese drones – a BZK-005 reconnaissance model and, for the first time, a Chengdu GJ-2 reconnaissance and attack drone – were tracked slipping through the airspace between Okinawa and Miyako Island, before entering the Pacific. “We will continue to monitor developments in the airspace surrounding Japan with strong interest and will take all possible measures to conduct surveillance,” a spokesman for the Defence Ministry’s Joint Staff Office told reporters.

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