US Military: Chinese Fighter Jet Came Within 10 Feet of B-52 Bomber Over South China Sea

Voice of America News reports: “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…”

The post US Military: Chinese Fighter Jet Came Within 10 Feet of B-52 Bomber Over South China Sea appeared first on JVIM.