Chinese Fighters Accused of Intercepting Canadian Surveillance Aircraft

The Canadian military aircraft and a Chinese jet came within 16 feet of each other over international waters, according to reports.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 01:23 PM ET

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Royal Canadian Air Force Lockheed CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Chinese fighter jets "dangerously and recklessly" intercepted a Canadian military surveillance aircraft over international waters during a UN operation to enforce North Korea sanctions.
During the incident, Chinese jets came as close as 16 feet to the Canadian CP-140 Aurora, with one jet reportedly armed and flying aggressively for hours, putting the crew at significant risk.
Canada's Defense Minister condemned the "unprofessional," "dangerous," and "reckless" behavior, vowing to express their concerns to China.
This is not the first such incident, as a similar close encounter between Chinese and Canadian military aircraft occurred in June 2022 during a comparable mission.

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Chinese fighter jets were “dangerous and reckless” when they intercepted a Canadian military surveillance aircraft taking part in a United Nations operation over international waters off the coast of China earlier this week, according to a top Canadian military official.

According to Canada defense minister Bill Blair, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Lockheed CP-140 Aurora and a jet at one point came within 16 feet of each other during the incident, which put the Canadian crew aboard the aircraft at significant risk, Reuters reported.