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At a news briefing at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where President Barack Obama is vacationing, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, called the intercept "a deeply concerning provocation" and suggested it could set back efforts to improve relations.
Kirby said the Aug. 19 maneuvering by the Chinese jet posed a risk to the safety of the U.S. air crew, was "inconsistent with customary international law," and complicates efforts to improve military-to-military relations, which are often strained.
Kirby said the Chinese jet made several close passes by the Navy P-8 Poseidon plane, coming within 30 feet of it at one point. He said the Chinese jet did a "barrel roll" maneuver over the top of the Poseidon at one point and also passed across the nose of the Navy plane, exposing the belly of the fighter in a way apparently designed to show that it was armed.
Kirby said it happened about 135 miles east of China's Hainan Island. In 2001 a Chinese jet collided with a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft off Hainan Island, killing the Chinese pilot and forcing the Navy plane to make an emergency landing on the island. Washington severed military relations with China after that episode.
"The intercept was aggressive and demonstrated a lack of due regard for the safety and well-being of the U.S. and Chinese aircrews and aircraft," the Pentagon said in a statement.
3 comments:
Steve, I routinely fly a 737 in that area, and hear a lot of calls on 121.5 calling out unidentified traffic over those waters.
Usually the traffic the Chinese or HK folks see is between FL175 and 225, squawking 1400 or 1200. I LMAO because the surveillance flights never identify themselves.
The Chinese seem to be working up to declare another ADIZ. For sure we hear a lot more anti-stealth radar in the vhf air band. Thry're doing a lot of dtills out of Nanning and other fields as well.
You have a great site! Hope you continue posting.
Steve, I routinely fly a 737 in that area, and hear a lot of calls on 121.5 calling out unidentified traffic over those waters.
Usually the traffic the Chinese or HK folks see is between FL175 and 225, squawking 1400 or 1200. I LMAO because the surveillance flights never identify themselves.
The Chinese seem to be working up to declare another ADIZ. For sure we hear a lot more anti-stealth radar in the vhf air band. Thry're doing a lot of dtills out of Nanning and other fields as well.
You have a great site! Hope you continue posting.
Doesn't matter. Obama won't do a thing about it.He sure can get a lot of rounds of golf in, can't he. He calls ISIS junior varsity terrorist. They chopped off the head of Foley, imagine what so called varsity terrorist will do. Embarrassing.
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