DOD Reports of China's Intercepts of US Aircraft on the Rise

In the past two years, nearly 200 incidents of People’s Liberation Army pilots harassing American aircraft had been documented, according to a Pentagon official.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 02:36 PM ET

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Images and video newly released by the Department of Defense capture a Chinese People’s Liberation Army fighter jet in the course of conducting a coercive and risky intercept against a lawfully operating U.S. asset in the South China Sea, including approaching 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, the PLA pilot responded by using explicit language, including an expletive. [Courtesy: DOD]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. defense officials report a sharp increase in coercive and risky intercepts by Chinese PLA pilots against U.S. and allied military aircraft in international airspace since late 2021.
These incidents, numbering over 180 in two years, involve dangerous maneuvers like close approaches, forcing aircraft into wake turbulence, and releasing objects.
The aggressive actions are part of a broader Chinese pressure campaign aimed at deterring lawful operations in regions where Beijing claims territorial sovereignty.

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There’s been a rise in Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) pilots intercepting U.S. military aircraft in international airspace over the past two years as part of a pressure campaign against lawful flight operations in the region, according to American defense officials.

On Tuesday, Pentagon officials released a collection of declassified images and videos of 15 recent cases in what they said underscored “an increasing trend of coercive and risky operational behavior by the PLA since the fall of 2021.”