Japan's Joint Staff photographs Chinese destroyer 121 and supply ship 901 near Osumi Strait

Grey Chinese navy destroyer in side view on choppy grey-blue sea, with hull number 121 on the bow, a helicopter deck at the stern, radar domes and a tall mast flying a red Chinese flag, and white wake along its side. — Japan Joint Staff / JMSDF photo · CC BY 4.0 (Japan Joint Staff / JMSDF photo; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0)

Photo released Oct. 20, 2026 by Japan's Joint Staff. It says the JMSDF spotted a PLA Navy Luyang-III-class destroyer (hull number 121) and a Fuyu-class fast combat support ship (hull number 901) at about 11 p.m. on Oct. 16 sailing southeast about 140 km west of Kuchinoerabu-jima, and that both sailed east through the Osumi Strait into the Pacific on Oct. 17 while JMSDF assets monitored them. The photo shows the grey destroyer in profile with hull number 121 and a Chinese flag on its mast.

What: Japan's Joint Staff photographs Chinese destroyer 121 and supply ship 901 near Osumi Strait
Where: Osumi Strait, Japan
When: Oct 16, 2026
Who: Japan Joint Staff (Ministry of Defense), JMSDF
Status: Official release
Warning: Content warning: None. A warship photographed at sea; no one harmed. Graphic level: none.

Sources

Japan Joint Staff (Ministry of Defense), JMSDF · Japan Joint Staff press release, Oct. 20, 2026 (Chinese navy vessel activity)

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Record details

Captured 16 October 2026. Time captured: not stated. Releasing authority: Japan Joint Staff (Ministry of Defense), JMSDF. Location: Osumi Strait, Japan.

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Credit: Japan Joint Staff / JMSDF photo. License: CC BY 4.0 (Japan Joint Staff / JMSDF photo; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0).