Japan leadership hopefuls eye tougher responses to airspace breaches

TOKYO -- As the race to choose the next leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and presumptive prime minister enters its final stretch, recent military provocations by China and Russia have focused attention on deterrence.

A Russian reconnaissance aircraft entered Japanese airspace three times in three hours on Monday, with its bomb bay doors open. Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets fired flares to warn off the plane, escalating for the first time beyond the initial responses of scrambling jets and issuing warnings by radio.