US: 2 Chinese jets conduct unsafe intercept of Navy aircraft
Two Chinese aircraft conducted an unprofessional intercept of a US Navy surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said Friday, marking the second time in about a week that the US has complained about unsafe Chinese operations in the region.
A defense official said one of the Chinese J-10 fighter jets flew about 200 yards in front of the U.S. P-3 aircraft and about 100 feet above it, doing slow turns. The second Chinese fighter remained about 750 yards off the P-3's right wing. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Navy Cdr. Gary Ross said the Navy P-3 Orion was operating in international airspace. He said the US is reviewing the incident and will convey concerns to the Chinese.
Last week, US defense officials said two Chinese SU-30 jets conducted an unprofessional intercept of an American radiation-sniffing surveillance plane in the East China Sea.
