A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea, nearly causing an accident, the U.S. military said, underscoring the potential for a mishap as both countries vie for influence in the region.
In the night intercept, the Shenyang J-11 twin-engine fighter closed on the U.S. Air Force plane at an “uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of a collision,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement released late Thursday.
“We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision,” the military said.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
BANGKOK (AP) — A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea, nearly causing an accident, the U.S. military said, underscoring the potential for a mishap as both countries vie for influence in the region.
In the night intercept, the Shenyang J-11 twin-engine fighter closed on the U.S. Air Force plane at an “uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of a collision,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement released late Thursday.
The U.S. military said in its statement that the aircraft was “lawfully conducting routine operations” ahead of the intercept Tuesday, but did not immediately respond to questions Friday about specifically what the B-52 was doing over the South China Sea or whether it was with a group of planes.
After a similar incident in May, the Chinese government dismissed American complaints and demanded that Washington end such flights over the South China Sea.
Following that incident, U.S. President Joe Biden renewed a warning that the U.S. would be obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, aircraft or vessels come under armed attack.
The U.S. and its allies regularly conduct maritime maneuvers in the South China Sea, and also routinely fly aircraft over the area to emphasize that the waters and airspace are international.
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