Chinese and American military planes collide head-on and crash
Two military aircraft, one Chinese and the other American, almost collided in the South China Sea.
An American RC-135 aircraft (file images).
AFP
A US military aircraft narrowly avoided colliding with a Chinese fighter jet flying just meters from the South China Sea, the US military said on Thursday. On December 21, the pilot of a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet “performed a dangerous maneuver while approaching a US RC-135 aircraft,” the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a press release.
The Chinese pilot flew in front of and less than six meters from the nose of the US surveillance aircraft, “forcing the RC-135 to perform collision avoidance maneuvers,” the military said. The US command added that the RC-135 was “conducting lawful routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace”. China, which views the island as part of its territory and has recently resorted to force to reclaim the island, has moved closer to the conflict.
1700 aerial incursions this year
Late last week, officials in Taipei accused Beijing of deploying 71 fighter jets around Taiwan in military maneuvers, including 60 fighter jets, in one of its largest daily incursions to date. The Chinese military said the drills were in response to “provocations” and “collusion” between the US and authorities on the island.
According to an AFP database, there have been more than 1,700 incursions so far this year, up from 969 in 2021.
AFP
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