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 rise in "coercive and risky" interceptions of U.S. military aircraft by Chinese PLA pilots in international airspace, with over 180 incidents occurring since late 2021.
These dangerous maneuvers include extremely close approaches, flying through wake turbulence, barrel rolls, and releasing flares, all posing significant collision risks.
The Pentagon identifies this as a deliberate pressure campaign by China to discourage the U.S. and allies from conducting lawful operations in areas Beijing claims.
This aggressive behavior extends beyond U.S. air operations, impacting allied nations (like Canada) and occurring across various domains, including maritime encounters with warships.

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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.”