Current:Home > MyUS military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea -MoneyBase
US military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea
View
Date:2025-04-13 06:32:26
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.
“We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision,” the military said.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but in a similar incident in May, the Chinese government dismissed American complaints and demanded that Washington end such flights over the South China Sea.
China has been increasingly assertive in advancing its claims on most of the South China Sea as its territorial waters, a position rejected by the U.S. and other countries that use the vast expanse of ocean for shipping.
China’s claims have led to longstanding territorial disputes with other countries in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade routes. A Chinese coast guard ship and an accompanying vessel last week rammed a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat off a contested shoal in the waterway.
The U.S. and its allies regularly conduct maritime maneuvers in the South China Sea, and also regularly fly aircraft over the area to emphasize that the waters and airspace are international.
The B-52 was “lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace” when it was intercepted by the J-11 on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.
Intercepts are common, with the U.S. saying that there have been more than 180 such incidents since the fall of 2021.
They are not often as close as Tuesday’s incident, however, and with tensions already high between Beijing and Washington, a collision would have had the potential to lead to an escalation.
The U.S. military said in its statement that the incident will not change its approach.
“The U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international laws allow,” the military said.
veryGood! (552)
Related
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- 3 dead after a shooting at a party at a Denver industrial storefront
- Nobel Prize-winning poet Louise Glück dies at 80
- Medicare Part B premiums for 2024 will cost more: Here's how much you'll pay
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Stop What You’re Doing: Kate Spade Is Offering Up to 70% Off on Bags, Accessories & More
- 'Night again. Terror again': Woman describes her life under siege in Gaza
- Wisconsin Assembly passes transgender sports restrictions, gender-affirming care ban
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Jim Jordan wins House GOP's nomination for speaker, but deep divisions remain
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Little Rock’s longest-serving city manager, Bruce Moore, dies at 57
- Amid fury of Israel-Hamas war, U.S. plans Israel evacuation flights for Americans starting Friday
- Police look to charge 3 men after Patriots fan died following fight at Dolphins game
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Judge denies bid to prohibit US border officials from turning back asylum-seekers at land crossings
- U.S. cities bolster security as Israel-Hamas war continues
- Russian athletes won’t be barred from the Paris Olympics despite their country’s suspension
Recommendation
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
17-year-old boy arrested in Morgan State University mass shooting, 2nd suspect identified
ADHD affects hundreds of millions of people. Here's what it is − and what it's not.
Hunger Games Director Shares He Totally Regrets Dividing Mockingjay Into Separate Parts
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
This Love Is Blind Season 5 Couple Had Their Wedding Cut From Show
Joran van der Sloot expected to plead guilty in Natalee Holloway extortion case
At least 27 dead with dozens more missing after boat capsizes in northwest Congo