緊急発進、４～１２月で７８５回　昨年度１年分上回る―防衛省

　防衛省は２５日、領空侵犯の恐れのある航空機に対する自衛隊の緊急発進（スクランブル）が、２０２１年４～１２月に７８５回に上ったと発表した。同期比では過去５年間で最多となり、既に２０年度１年間の７２５回を上回った。大半は中国機とロシア機が対象で、特に中国機が増加。同省は両国の爆撃機による日本周辺の共同飛行など連携した動きに警戒を強めている。
　同省統合幕僚監部によると、中国機への緊急発進が前年同期比２４０回増の５７１回で全体の約７割超。ロシア機への対応は同７回減の１９９回で４分の１を占めた。（2022/01/25-10:47）

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces scrambled fighter jets to counter possible airspace incursions by foreign aircraft 785 times in April-December last year, the highest for the same period over the last five years, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
   The tally exceeded the number of SDF scrambles made in the full fiscal year through March 2021, at 725.
   Most of the scrambles were targeted at Chinese and Russian aircraft, with the number of incidents with Chinese planes especially increasing.
   The ministry is on heightened alert for coordinated maneuvering near Japan by the Chinese and Russian militaries, including joint bomber flights.
   The SDF scrambled fighters against Chinese aircraft 571 times, making up over 70 pct of the total. The figure rose by 240 from a year before, the ministry said.