Pentagon: Chinese jets fly close to US spy plane

[webfact]

Pentagon: Chinese jets fly close to US spy plane
LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says two Chinese fighter jets flew within about 50 feet of a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane Tuesday in international airspace over the South China Sea.

The Pentagon characterized the incident as an unsafe intercept and said it is being reviewed.

A U.S. military official says the two Chinese J-11 fighters flew out to intercept the U.S. EP-3 Aries aircraft and came so close that they forced the pilot to descend a couple hundred feet in order to avoid a collision. The U.S. surveillance plane was conducting routine operations in the region.

The official says the incident took place in the northern part of the sea, south of Hong Kong. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the incident publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-05-19

[Kasset Tak]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

[Credo]

What part of 'international waters' don't you understand?

[Caps]

if its international then don't moan if others use international

[craigt3365]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

The US was in international waters. So not in anybody's "cookie jar". Chinese ships perform "innocent passage" in waters claimed by the US. Yet, the US didn't harass them, like the Chinese just did here.

https://news.usni.org/2015/09/03/chinese-warships-made-innocent-passage-through-u-s-territorial-waters-off-alaska

Chinese Warships Made ‘Innocent Passage’ Through U.S. Territorial Waters off Alaska

Russian war ships are off the coast of the US on a regular basis. Just not in territorial waters, they are in international waters. Which is their right, and they weren't harassed by the US.

[neverdie]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

The US was in international waters. So not in anybody's "cookie jar". Chinese ships perform "innocent passage" in waters claimed by the US. Yet, the US didn't harass them, like the Chinese just did here.

https://news.usni.org/2015/09/03/chinese-warships-made-innocent-passage-through-u-s-territorial-waters-off-alaska

Chinese Warships Made Innocent Passage Through U.S. Territorial Waters off Alaska

Russian war ships are off the coast of the US on a regular basis. Just not in territorial waters, they are in international waters. Which is their right, and they weren't harassed by the US.

It certainly was an aggressive act by the chineese.

This should be sought end out with fists on the runway, but that's unlikely. Pity.

[Lee4Life]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

[Caps]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

And international airspace means just that. The Chinese had as much right as anyone to be there albeit a bit too close

[craigt3365]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

And international airspace means just that. The Chinese had as much right as anyone to be there albeit a bit too close

A bit too close? 50 feet is insane. Could end up like last time. A crash with one of their pilots dead. Happened in 2001.

[Publicus]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Wrong.

The Russians flying in close in to the USS Cook in the Black Sea international waters made a direct harassment and provocation against the USN which the US ignored instead of shooting 'em out of the sky. US observed its standard rules of engagement of a long standing, which are to not engage in such a circumstance.

The US recon plane over the SCS in this instance was moseying along on a steady course in international air space without buzzing or harassing any CCP PLA Air Force planes. The US recon place was underway passively, again, in international air space.

PLA Air Force entered international air space to consciously and maliciously buzz and harass the USAF recon plane. The situation and circumstances of the Russians in the Black Sea and the CCP and its PLA Air Force in international airspace are the same, i.e., each is the initiator of an illegal action. In each instance, US had made no aggression(s).

In 2001 a PLA Air Force fighter jet banged into a USAF recon plane in the same area, again on a harassment flight into international air space. The CCP jet crashed into the SCS killing the inept pilot. The USAF plane managed to land safely at Hainan Island/province of the CCP. While CCP took possession of the recon plane, it released the crew after ten dayze.

PLA Air Force pilots get limited air time with their jets and bombers due to poor training programs and budget constraints. Russian AF pilots don't get much more time in the air than CCP military pilots do, however, the Russians are much better trained than CCP military pilots are due to the Russians having much more experience with fighter jets over a much longer period of time than CCP military pilots have or could have. Consequently, PLA Air Force pilots are as much a danger to themselves as they are to an enemy aircraft -- surely more so.

CCP military have to rely on missiles which they can't use in these circumstances. Or which they'd better not use.

CCP early last year tried unsuccessfully to electronically bring down USAF Global Hawk recon drones flying over the SCS and the islands CCP had targeted. CCP wanted to glory itself in bringing down a Hawk in shallow waters off some island to display CCP electronic warfare capabilities, but failed and it failed repeatedly. CCP failed because Global Hawk is programmed to receive any jamming or change of instructions messages to its guidance system as only a confirmation of its mission programming. CCP can steal technology but can't reproduce it or improve on it either accurately or effectively.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Publicus

[SgtRock]

Were they this close ?

Now that is close

[wwest5829]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

International airspace, international waters belong to all. I would be happy to condemn the US if these same parameters were applied and the US did not recognize. The Peoples Republic has unilaterally overstepped international law. While I do not look for confrontation, I support the US insistence that these laws and agreements be kept enforced for the benefit of all nations..

[Boon Mee]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

[Naam]

It certainly was an aggressive act by the chineese.

This should be sought end out with fists on the runway, but that's unlikely. Pity.

Marquess of Queensberry rules mandatory!

Edited May 19, 2016 by Naam

[jobin]

Yeah. Just you guys wait till our Donald gets out his six-shooters and blasts away at those dirty red commie devils. That would be in about next March. Can you wait till then for WW III ?

[Publicus]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

CCP Dictators in Beijing have said they will establish and Air Defense Identification Zone over the SCS. They did this in the East Sea in late 2013 to include the Senkaku Islands of Japan which CCP claims and which US recognises as a part of Japan's sovereign territory, since 1949.

CCP made the standard statement about an ADIZ when a government establishes one (which US has done at all its borders since early in the cold war). That is, any aircraft civilian or military must identify itself and request permission to enter or pass through an ADIZ.

Two days after CCP established its ADIZ in the East Sea US flew two B-52 nuclear capable but unarmed bombers through the ADIZ without any or prior notice. CCP had threatened serious military consequences for any violation of its new and suddenly declared ADIZ, to include demands to the B-52s to identify themselves which the B-52s ignored. CCP did nothing militarily.

Since then US, Japan, South Korea air forces planes have flown at will through the CCP ADIZ over the East Sea. US and allies have made the CCP ADIZ into swiss cheese from the second day of the ADIZ. So far CCP has not followed through on its announcement of early last year to establish and ADIZ over the SCS.

CCP may yet do it in the SCS but only if it wants to get surrounded by several slabs of self-manufactured swiss cheese in the skies. So this rote and empty headed anti-US jibberish needs to be constrained based on knowing the facts and the realities of what is happening, where and when, to include why. Facts instead of empty headed rhetoric. US merits support abroad rather than rightwhinge ideological and political blather.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Publicus

[Boon Mee]

Yeah. Just you guys wait till our Donald gets out his six-shooters and blasts away at those dirty red commie devils. That would be in about next March. Can you wait till then for WW III ?

Hillary is far more "War Bound" than Trump in his wildest imagination.

Does Libya ring a bell for you?

[craigt3365]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

Sounds like what a bully would do. Pick on the weak. Luckily, this US is much more than just the president.

But methinks it's kinda like poking a bear with a stick. Be careful...

[Caps]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

Sounds like what a bully would do. Pick on the weak. Luckily, this US is much more than just the president.

But methinks it's kinda like poking a bear with a stick. Be careful...

Not really, where were NATO and the US when Ukraine was invaded by Russia after saying we will look after you if you don't gets nukes? Sanctions! Putin was laughing himself to sleep

[Publicus]

It certainly was an aggressive act by the chineese.

This should be sought end out with fists on the runway, but that's unlikely. Pity.

Marquess of Queensberry rules mandatory!

The Urban Dictionary might well apply as a response to the spirit and the thrust of the glib post...

Queensberry rules is a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of sillyness. They were named so because the 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code. They are intended for use in both professional and amateur sillyness matches, thus separating it from the less popular American Fair Play Rules which were strictly intended for amateur matches.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Queensbury%20rules

CCP and their fanboyz are amateurs at this stuff it's just they don't know it yet.

[Publicus]

Yeah. Just you guys wait till our Donald gets out his six-shooters and blasts away at those dirty red commie devils. That would be in about next March. Can you wait till then for WW III ?

Hillary is far more "War Bound" than Trump in his wildest imagination.

Does Libya ring a bell for you?

Ah, the fans of the nuclear brain of Donald Trump speak.

[Publicus]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

Sounds like what a bully would do. Pick on the weak. Luckily, this US is much more than just the president.

But methinks it's kinda like poking a bear with a stick. Be careful...

Not really, where were NATO and the US when Ukraine was invaded by Russia after saying we will look after you if you don't gets nukes? Sanctions! Putin was laughing himself to sleep

Putin himself violated the Budapest Memorandum when he was one of its three guarantors, with UK and USA.

Ukraine had decided not to apply to Nato in hopes of moderating Putin but no such luck.

CCP is in violation of its having signed the UNILOS Treaty which the US Potus observes even if Congress has yet to ratify it. Putin is still laboring to get his GDP back to plus territory since the sanctions had been imposed.

CCP isn't doing too well either in its economy or in its regional belligerence, aggressions, bellicosity. CCP is wrongheadedly taking its cues from Putin to harass US military assets in international zones of the seas and the airspace.

CCP has adopted a wrong model but CCP are certain they're on the right course. Two peas in a pod about to be picked.

[dunroaming]

Can't see the problem here. A US spy plane in international airspace just off of the coast of China over the South China Sea is checked out by a couple of Chinese military planes also in international airspace. I am sure if it were over the Atlantic with a Chinese spy plane flying close to the US coastline the Americans would check that out too.

Quite pathetic really

Edited May 19, 2016 by dunroaming

[wwest5829]

Gee, we wonder why the Chinese and the Russians are acting so bold these days?

Couldn't be because the US has an extremely weak president maybe?

Could be that they, correctly, figure we have our hands full being overcommitted through previous military actions and policy. The discretionary spending is already over half used by military costs. Think we should take on Russia over the crimea (my approach is regional concerned nations take the first overwhelming commitment). Apply that to the South China Sea (I do support our own interests in demanding free passage in international waters and air space). No, for my money it has little to do with the President (Its Obama's fault...right!).

[Jdiddy]

50ft is standard for air to air buzzing, Russians go that close too

Whole point is to send a msg, not just sit 1000ft away and be ignored

[carken]

What part of 'international waters' don't you understand?

The same part the US govt doesn't understand

[carken]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

The US was in international waters. So not in anybody's "cookie jar". Chinese ships perform "innocent passage" in waters claimed by the US. Yet, the US didn't harass them, like the Chinese just did here.

https://news.usni.org/2015/09/03/chinese-warships-made-innocent-passage-through-u-s-territorial-waters-off-alaska

Chinese Warships Made ‘Innocent Passage’ Through U.S. Territorial Waters off Alaska

Russian war ships are off the coast of the US on a regular basis. Just not in territorial waters, they are in international waters. Which is their right, and they weren't harassed by the US.

Yeah the US never harasses anybody

Edited May 19, 2016 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[carken]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

What I don't understand is why are there so many US haters when US is so kind warm hearted and peace loving ... must be jealousy

Edited May 19, 2016 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[Lee4Life]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Just another opportunity for a US hater to spout off. International waters means just that.

And international airspace means just that. The Chinese had as much right as anyone to be there albeit a bit too close

Naaww....what's a few feet here or there?

[brianinbangkok]

US should stay out of other countries cookie jars if they want to avoid confrontation. This is the same as the Russian flyover of USS Donald Cook in the Baltic sea, I wonder how US would react if Russia would park a Kirov class cruiser 70km from New York...

Thought we have already seen how that would go...

cuban rocket crisis