Shocking footage filmed from inside a U.S. Air Force plane cockpit showed the moment a Chinese fighter jet swerved dangerously close to the aircraft through international airspace over the South China Sea on Friday.
In the footage, the Chinese jet could be seen swerving across the front of the American plane, coming as close as 400 feet.
The move forced the Air Force pilot to fly through its wake, leaving the plane shuddering in heavy turbulence.
“A People’s Republic of China J-16 fighter pilot performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver during the intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, ABC reported.
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“The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” the Air Force said in a statement.
“The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international law allows, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force will continue to fly in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law.”
The incident was the most recent showdown between Chinese fighter jets and Air Force planes over the South China Sea.
Last year in December, a Chinese navy J-11 fighter jet flew within 10 feet of another U.S. RC-135, forcing the pilot to undertake evasive maneuvers.
Another incident this year saw a Chinese fighter jet pull up alongside a U.S. plane flying 30 miles from the Chinese coastline as they were ordered to leave.
As The New York Post notes:
US RC-135s routinely fly through the region on surveillance missions and to apply pressure on China’s claims over vast swaths of the South China Sea.
U.S. Air Force J-16 flew in front of the RC-135 at a distance of 400 feet; the U.S. plane
The incident was the latest showdown between Chinese fighter jets and Air Force planes over the South China Sea in recent months.
After the latest incident, a U.S. military official said it was believed the maneuvers were part of a coordinated effort from China to harass U.S. aircraft.
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