The Pentagon has released videos and photos of 15 incidents in which Chinese jets conducted “forced and risky” maneuvers, sometimes as close as 20 feet to U.S. jets in the Indo-Pacific region.
The photos and videos released Tuesday show part of what the Pentagon sees as part of a “centralized and concerted campaign” by China to alter U.S. operations in the region.
Since fall 2021, there have been more than 180 cases of “compulsive and risky” behavior against US jets. That’s more incidents in the last two years than in the previous decade, Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Indo-Pacific Ely Ratner told reporters on Tuesday.
The Pentagon released images of a Chinese fighter jet in the South China Sea that came within 50 feet of a US plane. Ministry of Defense
“That’s nearly 200 cases in which PLA operators conducted reckless maneuvers or fired chaff or launched flares or approached U.S. aircraft too quickly or too close – all as part of an attempt to safeguard the ability of U.S. forces to fly safely operate, “said Ratner.
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One of the released videos was taken in July and shows a Chinese jet firing flares over the East China Sea. According to the Pentagon, the jet sent eight flares just 900 feet from a U.S. plane. According to the Pentagon, the most recent video was from September when a Chinese aircraft came within 15 meters of a US plane over the South China Sea.
The “coercive and risky” behavior is slightly less dangerous than being characterized as “unsafe and unprofessional,” which is essentially the case when lives are at stake, said U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino.
The Pentagon released images of a Chinese warplane in the East China Sea that fired eight flares 900 feet from a U.S. plane. Ministry of Defense
“What we have seen since 2021 is a series of actions that have brought aircraft much closer together than would be comfortable for those in the cockpit,” Aquilino said, adding that a portion of the 180 cases were “unsafe and unprofessional.” .
Both Aquilino and Ratner said China’s provocative behavior was not limited to the air – the Chinese also harassed U.S. ships.
The released videos come ahead of the Pentagon’s annual Chinese military power report to Congress, which details the elements of China’s growing military. Ratner said this year’s report, which he expects to be released soon, will detail the rise in harassing behavior in China.
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