Chinese Fighter Jet Makes Dangerous Maneuver Near American B-52 Bomber
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HONOLULU — U.S. military officials have reported a dangerous incident that occurred this week, where a Chinese fighter jet flew within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber in international airspace over the Pacific. The Chinese jet passed beneath the wing of the bomber, disappearing from the pilot’s view and risking a midair collision, officials said.
Video footage released by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command showed the Chinese J-11 fighter rapidly approaching the B-52, passing in front of and below the American aircraft’s wing over the South China Sea on Tuesday. The encounter took place at night, further adding to the concern of authorities. The command expressed their worries that the Chinese pilot may not have been aware of how close they came to causing a collision.
The risky and unprofessional maneuver by the Chinese fighter jet has raised alarm among military experts. Retired Air Force fighter pilot Charlie “Tuna” Moore described it as a dangerous move that could have disastrous consequences. Moore, who is now a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, emphasized the increased risk of collision when the Chinese jet was out of the U.S. pilot’s view. Additionally, the proximity of the Chinese fighter to the larger American aircraft could have caused wake turbulence that could have resulted in a collision.
This incident comes on the heels of last week’s release of videos by the Pentagon, showing what they described as unsafe Chinese air intercepts over the past year and a half. Pentagon officials said that China’s recent surge in such coercive maneuvers is concerning, particularly as Beijing has rejected U.S. efforts to restart military-to-military communication channels aimed at preventing such encounters.
The timing of the video release also coincides with the visit of China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, to Washington. Yi is set to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of an anticipated bilateral summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Biden in San Francisco next month. Officials expect that the topic of stalled military communication will be discussed during these meetings.
The Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military power, released last week, highlights the increased aggressiveness of the Chinese military in the Pacific. The report reveals that China has conducted over 180 risky intercepts of U.S. spy planes in the past two years, surpassing the number of such incidents in the previous decade. When incidents with U.S. allies and partners are taken into account, the number rises to nearly 300.
Officials argue that China’s bolder behavior is an attempt to force the U.S. military to back down in a region that Beijing seeks to dominate. This latest encounter, coming after the video release and Pentagon condemnation of previous incidents, is seen as a clear rebuke from Beijing. Moore stated that China is essentially saying they will not be intimidated by the United States or its concerns over international air safety norms, despite the dangers they present.
The U.S. and China have a history of such incidents, with the most notable being the collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. Navy EP-3 in April 2001. The collision resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the emergency landing of the U.S. aircraft on Hainan Island. The 24 crew members of the U.S. aircraft were detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities for 11 days before being released, causing an international incident.
As tensions in the region continue to rise, experts stress the importance of open lines of communication between the U.S. and China to prevent further dangerous encounters. The success of the upcoming summit between President Biden and President Xi will be closely watched, particularly in determining whether both countries can find common ground on military communication and reducing the risk of escalation in the Pacific.