The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has, for the first time, identified a Chinese Navy submarine rescue vessel of the Type 926 Dakai-class operating near Japanese waters.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense on July 25, the vessel was first spotted around noon on July 24 by JMSDF surveillance aircraft.
It was operating approximately 330 kilometers west of Japan’s Goto Islands, in the East China Sea. The following day, the ship proceeded through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan, the ministry said.
The sighting adds to a series of recent naval movements by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in proximity to Japan. The ministry also confirmed that three additional Chinese naval vessels—two guided missile destroyers and a replenishment ship—passed through the same strait on July 24, entering the Sea of Japan.
In response, the JMSDF deployed maritime patrol aircraft and other surveillance assets to conduct “warning and surveillance operations” and collect intelligence, the ministry added.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that these movements form part of a broader pattern of heightened Chinese military activity near Japan.
The Dakai-class platform, also known as Type 926, is equipped to support submarines in distress and conduct deep-diving operations. Its appearance near Japanese territory may suggest either a deployment exercise or part of a wider reconnaissance pattern, according to defense analysts.
The class entered service in 2024. Hull number 841, believed to be the vessel sighted on Friday, is the second ship in a planned class of three and reportedly became operational at the end of last year.
The timing of this transit—coinciding with the passage of other PLAN surface combatants through the same strait—has raised concerns in Japan’s national security community. While the Chinese Ministry of National Defense has not commented publicly on the operation, Japan’s Ministry of Defense is expected to raise the issue in ongoing regional security dialogues.
The Tsushima Strait is a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the East China Sea with the Sea of Japan. While international waters, Japan closely monitors naval transits through the area, particularly by foreign military vessels.