Chinese fighter jet confronts US Navy plane as tensions simmer in South China Sea

[crimsonaudio]

A voice, saying it’s coming from a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) airport, crackles over the radio of the US Navy P-8 Poseidon as a CNN crew, given rare access aboard the US flight, listens in.

“American aircraft. Chinese airspace is 12 nautical miles. Not approaching any more or you bear all responsibility,” it says.

In a few minutes, a Chinese fighter jet armed with air-to-air missiles intercepts the US plane, nestling in just 500 feet off its port side.

The Chinese fighter jet was so close, the CNN crew could see the pilots turning their heads to look at them – and could make out the red star on the tail fins and the missiles it was armed with.

Chinese fighter jet confronts US Navy plane with CNN crew aboard as tensions simmer in South China Sea

 

[crimsonaudio]

Probably happens regularly, but I find the sudden increase in activity wrt China curious.

 

[TexasBama]

Probably happens regularly, but I find the sudden increase in activity wrt China curious.

I could be wrong, but I think this has been going on for some years.

 

[BamaFlum]

I wonder how this correlates with the increase in personnel in Taiwan.

 

[Go Bama]

I could be wrong, but I think this has been going on for some years.

If that's the case, CNN should have said so in the article.

The gist I got was that tensions are getting worse.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I could be wrong, but I think this has been going on for some years.

Also with Russia, particularly during the Cold War. It slacked off after the demise of the USSR, but it's picked up again...

 

[NationalTitles18]

Two Chinese Fighters Make ‘Unsafe’ Interception With U.S. Spy Plane

Two Chinese jet fighters made what military officials called a dangerous interception with a U.S. spy plane a week ago, just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to be received at the White House.

www.wsj.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/05/18/chinese-jets-intercept-u-s-recon-plane-almost-colliding-over-south-china-sea/

https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/24/politics/chinese-jet-intercept-us-navy-plane/index.html

US accuses China fighter of reckless mid-air intercept

A Chinese fighter came perilously close to a US military patrol plane over international waters east of China's Hainan Island, the Pentagon says.

www.bbc.com

U.S. Spy Plane, Chinese Fighter Collide Over Sea

Asia: American craft with a crew of 24 lands safely on China's Hainan island, while the other reportedly crashes. Incident strains already shaky bilateral relations.

www.latimes.com

I'd say this has been common for some time in the area.

 

[Tidewater]

If that's the case, CNN should have said so in the article.

The gist I got was that tensions are getting worse.

This was seven years ago, near Chinese-occupied islands in the South China Sea.