The US Air Force claim a Chinese warplane almost collided with one of their aircraft. Chilling scenes show the People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) pilot edging towards the American reconnaissance plane this month.
In a display of aggression over South China Sea international airspace, the Shenyang J-11 twin-engine jet fighter is seen moving towards and then above the U.S. Air Force RC-135.
The U.S. Air Force said in a statement: "On Dec. 21 (China Standard Time), a People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) - Navy J-11 fighter pilot performed an unsafe manoeuvre during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace.
"The PLAN pilot flew an unsafe manoeuvre by flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the RC-135, forcing the RC-135 to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law.
"We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law."
The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft is described as able to support wartime and national security scenarios with near real time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities.
