Once one of the world’s most capable air forces, Japan now finds itself outmatched in air-to-air combat capabilities.

Following a record high in 2016, the number of Chinese military aircraft approaching Japanese airspace was almost cut in half from April to June 2017.

Beijing slammed Japan’s air force for scrambling jets and locking radars on to Chinese military aircraft.

For the first time since the end of World War II, British fighter aircraft are ‘targeting’ Japanese warplanes.

Japanese aircraft purportedly used fire-control radars to lock onto two PLAAF warplanes flying over the East China Sea.

The number of sorties flown to ward off Chinese intrusions into Japan’s airspace has risen substantially.

Tokyo has recently doubled the number of fighter jets stationed at Okinawa's Naha Air Base.