US military aircraft have had more than 180 dangerous aerial encounters with Chinese fighter jets since 2021 — representing more incidents than in the previous two decades, the Pentagon revealed on Tuesday.
Encounters in the past two years between American aircraft in the East and South China Seas and fighter jets belonging to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army have been described by a Pentagon official as a “centralized and concerted campaign” by China “to force changes in the law.” US operational activity” through “risky behavior.”
“That’s almost 200 cases where PLA operators have made reckless maneuvers or fired pods or fired flares or approached too fast or too close to US aircraft,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Dr. Ely Ratner at a press conference Tuesday.
“It’s all part of an attempt to disrupt the ability of the US military to operate safely in a place where we and every country in the world have a right to be under international law,” Ratner said.
The Pentagon declassified dozens of images and videos of the meeting. AP The Pentagon called the Chinese pilots’ maneuvers, “dangerous.”
Ratner noted that the number of “forced and risky PLA intercepts” increased to nearly 300 cases since 2021 when factoring in encounters between Chinese fighter jets and aircraft of US allies and partners.
Senior Pentagon officials warned that dangerous Chinese interceptors “put lives at risk – the lives of our service members, the lives of our allies and partner service members, and even the lives of PLA operators.”
A batch of declassified images and videos released by the Defense Department Tuesday show dozens of recent high-speed aerial encounters.
In one video, the May 25 encounter, a PLA fighter jet is seen sweeping in front of the US plane and causing the American plane to shake as it flies through the wake of the PLA jet.
In the June 2022 incident, video showed a PLA fighter jet coming within 40 feet of a US plane over the South China Sea and repeatedly flying above and below the US plane and “wiping its weapons,” according to the Pentagon.
“After US operators radioed PLA fighter jets, PLA pilots responded using clear language, including profanity,” the Pentagon notes.
Chinese warplanes have come within 20 feet of US aircraft that attacked them in the East and South China Seas. AP The Pentagon and the PLA are not talking at this time. AP
“The bottom line is that in many cases, this type of operational behavior can lead to accidents and dangerous accidents can lead to unintended conflicts,” Ratner said, explaining that encounters can last more than 15 minutes, occur at hundreds of miles per hour, and that jets armed Chinese are sometimes within 20 feet of US and allied aircraft.
Ratner also expressed concern that “disturbing” behavior continues “at a time when[thePeople’sRepublicofChina”hasdeclinedourinvitationtoopenlinesofmilitarytomilitarycommunicationattheseniormostlevels”[People’sRepublicofChina”hasdeclinedinvitationstoopenlinesofmilitarytomilitarycommunicationattheseniormostlevels”[RepublikRakyatChina”telahmenolakjemputankamiuntukmembukataliankomunikasiketenteraankepadaketenteraandiperingkatpalingkanan”[People’sRepublicofChina”hasdeclinedourinvitationstoopenlinesofmilitarytomilitarycommunicationattheseniormostlevels”
The lack of communication stems from the US military’s shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February off the coast of South Carolina, after the craft flew across the continental US, including sensitive US military installations.
Pentagon officials expressed concern about a “potential accident” during this encounter.AP Encounters occur over the ocean at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour and can last longer than 15 minutes. AP
Navy Admiral John C. Aquilino, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, explained on Tuesday that “intercepts happen every day around the world,” but when China conducts them against US aircraft, it is different.
“For the most part it was conducted safely and without incident and there is no reason to bypass with the PRC in the Indo-Pacific region being any different,” Aquilino said.
“As the Commander of the Joint Forces, I am very worried about the potential accident,” he added.
Ratner insisted that the US would not change its approach to flying over the East and South China Seas despite the PLA’s actions.
“The United States will not be deterred or coerced,” Ratner said. “We will continue to fly, sail and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows. Our forces have helped maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for decades. And we will continue to do so every day.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
