United States Military aircraft have had more than 180 “risky” or “unsafe” run-ins with Chinese fighter jets in international airspace since 2021, the Pentagon revealed on Tuesday. The increasing number of encounters over the South and East China Seas—higher than recorded in the previous decade—mark what military officials are calling a “centralized and concerted campaign” by China to intimidate the United States.
During a Tuesday press conference, officials from the Department of Defense declassified videos and pictures of 15 incidents of China’s “unsafe, unprofessional, and other behaviors that seek to impinge upon the ability of the United States and other nations to safely conduct operations where international law allows.” In dozens of images captured by the US military, People’s Liberation Army pilots are seen flying within 20 feet (6 meters) of American military aircraft, engaging in offensive activities requiring defensive maneuvers.
“That’s nearly 200 cases where PLA operators have performed reckless maneuvers or discharged chaff or shot off flares or approached too rapidly or too close to US aircraft,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner.
The announcement was accompanied by a timeline of the declassified incidents from the last two years, complete with photographic and video evidence of each. According to the Pentagon, the “risky and coercive maneuvers” captured on video include:
January 11, 2022: A PLA fighter crossed in front of the U.S. aircraft at a distance of 100 yards, forcing the U.S. aircraft to fly through the PLA plane’s wake turbulence.
April 29, 2022: Over the course of five hours, four PLA aircraft conducted an intercept, at one point reaching a distance of just 75 feet from the U.S. plane.
May 24, 2022: A PLA fighter jet first sped toward the U.S. asset and crossed under the plane’s nose, causing the U.S. aircraft to lose visual contact with the PLA fighter. After the U.S. pilot opened some distance between the two planes, the PLA pilot re-approached at a distance of just 15 feet laterally and 10 feet below the U.S. plane.
June 8, 2022: Over the course of five hours, four PLA aircraft conducted this intercept, including by approaching a distance of just 40 feet and taking pictures of the U.S. plane.
June 23, 2022: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 40 feet before repeatedly flying above and below the U.S. aircraft and flashing its weapons. After the U.S. operator radioed the PLA fighter jet, the PLA pilot responded using explicit language, including an expletive.
December 21, 2022: A PLA fighter jet operator flew in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the U.S. plane, forcing the U.S. aircraft to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.
January 11, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 30 feet from the U.S. plane.
February 7, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 20 feet from the U.S. plane.
February 15, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 70 feet from the U.S. plane.
March 2, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 50 feet from the U.S. plane.
May 25, 2023: A PLA fighter jet operator flew in front of the nose of the U.S. plane, forcing the U.S. aircraft to fly through the PLA plane’s wake turbulence.
June 11, 2023: A PLA fighter jet flew just 25 feet from the U.S. plane.
July 12, 2023: A PLA fighter jet deployed eight flares at a distance of 900 feet from the U.S. plane.
August 10, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at high speed to a distance of just 50 feet underneath the wing of a U.S. aircraft. The PLA operator then conducted a barrel roll around and below the U.S. aircraft, causing the U.S. pilot to perform defensive procedures to prevent a collision.
September 21, 2023: A PLA fighter jet approached at a distance of just 50 feet from the U.S. plane.
As US tensions with China continue to escalate amid trade conflicts and a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the Pentagon asserts that “The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international law allows.” Communications between the US and China have stalled since a Chinese spy balloon was shot down in American airspace earlier this year.
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