Japan responds to China with unprecedented number of F-2 Fighters with anti-ship missiles - Naval News
On 9 December 2025, at Tsuiki Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), at least 16 F-2 fighter aircraft were observed conducting training flights while each carried four ASM-2 air-to-ship missiles (Type 93 Air-to-Ship Guided Missile) mounted under their main wings.
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On 9 December 2025, at Tsuiki Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), at least 16 F-2 fighter aircraft were observed conducting training flights with each jet carrying four ASM-2 air-to-ship missiles (Type 93 Air-to-Ship Guided Missile) mounted under their main wings. The ASM-2 is an indigenously developed Japanese anti-ship missile with a range exceeding 140 km. It employs an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker and is equipped with infrared counter-countermeasures (IRCCM) as well as target discrimination capabilities.
It is highly unusual to see this many F-2s appear with a full loadout of ASM-2s, making the situation extremely distinctive. It is likely intended as a deterrent response to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s aircraft carrier Liaoning, which has operated nearby Kyushu. After transiting the Miyako Strait between Okinawa Main Island and Miyako Island on 6 December and entering the Pacific Ocean, the aircraft carrier Liaoning abruptly altered course to the northeast in waters south of Okinawa Main Island. On 7 December, it continued its advance into waters south of Kyushu.
During this period, J-15 carrier-borne fighter jet operating from Liaoning illuminated JASDF F-15 fighter jets with radar, among other actions, leading to heightened tensions between the Chinese military and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
