US Recon Aircraft Shaken by Chinese Fighter’s ‘Aggressive’ Move

Close Encounter Over the South China Sea
Chinese Fighter Jets Intercept U.S. Reconnaissance Aircraft
Threatening Maneuver Across the Nose

In recent years, as tensions escalate in the Indo-Pacific region, the standoff between the U.S. military and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army surrounding Taiwan has become increasingly frequent. The U.S. military regularly conducts reconnaissance activities near the South China Sea, asserting freedom of passage. However, China defines these actions as violations of its sovereignty.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command revealed that a Chinese People’s Liberation Army fighter jet made a close pass over a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flying over the South China Sea. The U.S. military released footage of the incident, accusing the Chinese military plane of unnecessarily ‘aggressive’ maneuvers.

Buzzing the RC-135
Cockpit Shaken by Turbulence

A 30-second video released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command shows a Chinese People’s Liberation Army J-16 fighter jet crossing in front of a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft. The command stated in a release, “The J-16 pilot performed an aggressive maneuver while intercepting the RC-135 aircraft.” It added, “It flew right in front of the RC-135, forcing the U.S. aircraft to fly through its wake turbulence.” Indeed, in the video, the J-16 moves to the left, causing the cockpit to shake significantly. While wake turbulence is common during aircraft interceptions, it can create dangerous situations under certain conditions.

Close Passes at 6 Meters
Standoff Between the Two Nations Likely to Continue

Close encounters between Chinese fighter jets and U.S. reconnaissance aircraft occurred in December last year. At that time, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command explained, “A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet flew unsafely within 20 feet (approximately 6 meters) of the RC-135’s nose, causing the RC-135 to take evasive action to avoid a collision.”6m

However, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army also released a video claiming that “The U.S. reconnaissance aircraft suddenly changed its flight direction, making a dangerous approach.” In this release, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that it would continue to fly and navigate in international airspace, suggesting inevitable future confrontations between the two nations.