A1FlyBoy
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Two Chinese jet fighters came within 150 feet of a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft near China in the first close encounter since a collision last year between an EP-3 and a Chinese jet, The Washington Times has learned.
The encounter took place in international airspace near the Chinese coast north of Taiwan on Monday, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the incident.
Two F-7 interceptors flew parallel to a U.S. Navy P-3 surveillance aircraft and for a period of minutes flew very close to the propeller-driven plane, the officials said.
"The Chinese are getting closer to our planes," said a U.S. intelligence official, who noted that the latest aerial intercept was a troubling sign.
Another official, however, said the intercept, while closer than in the past, was "professional and non-threatening."
The timing of the latest encounter between Chinese and U.S. aircraft came as a senior Pentagon official held talks with Chinese military and defense officials in Beijing.
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment directly on the latest incident but sought to play down other recent encounters.
"The Chinese intercepts are being handled with a greater degree of professionalism and airmanship than they were prior to the EP-3 incident," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis.
"Though they continue to respond to our flights, there's been an improvement," he said.
On April 1, 2001, a Chinese F-8 interceptor flew so close to a U.S. EP-3 that it collided with the aircraft and crashed into the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot.
The Pentagon blamed the Chinese pilot for acting recklessly.
The U.S. aircraft nearly crashed but managed to make an emergency landing at a Chinese military base on Hainan island in the South China Sea.
Cmdr. Davis, the Pentagon spokesman, said Chinese jet fighter intercepts continue occurring "at about the same rate as before" the April 2001 incident.
However, other officials said earlier intercepts by Chinese fighters took place at much greater and safer distances than the incident Monday.
Prior to the intercepts late last year, Chinese jets had kept at distances of up to several miles from patrolling U.S. military aircraft. All of the encounters have occurred in international airspace 50 to 100 miles from Chinese territory.
U.S. intelligence officials said the latest intercept of 150 feet is a sign the Chinese military appears to be stepping up harassment of U.S. surveillance aircraft. The P-3 was conducting intelligence gathering of large-scale Chinese war games now under way opposite Taiwan. Some 100,000 Chinese troops are involved in the annual exercises.
Chinese
The encounter took place in international airspace near the Chinese coast north of Taiwan on Monday, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the incident.
Two F-7 interceptors flew parallel to a U.S. Navy P-3 surveillance aircraft and for a period of minutes flew very close to the propeller-driven plane, the officials said.
"The Chinese are getting closer to our planes," said a U.S. intelligence official, who noted that the latest aerial intercept was a troubling sign.
Another official, however, said the intercept, while closer than in the past, was "professional and non-threatening."
The timing of the latest encounter between Chinese and U.S. aircraft came as a senior Pentagon official held talks with Chinese military and defense officials in Beijing.
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment directly on the latest incident but sought to play down other recent encounters.
"The Chinese intercepts are being handled with a greater degree of professionalism and airmanship than they were prior to the EP-3 incident," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis.
"Though they continue to respond to our flights, there's been an improvement," he said.
On April 1, 2001, a Chinese F-8 interceptor flew so close to a U.S. EP-3 that it collided with the aircraft and crashed into the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot.
The Pentagon blamed the Chinese pilot for acting recklessly.
The U.S. aircraft nearly crashed but managed to make an emergency landing at a Chinese military base on Hainan island in the South China Sea.
Cmdr. Davis, the Pentagon spokesman, said Chinese jet fighter intercepts continue occurring "at about the same rate as before" the April 2001 incident.
However, other officials said earlier intercepts by Chinese fighters took place at much greater and safer distances than the incident Monday.
Prior to the intercepts late last year, Chinese jets had kept at distances of up to several miles from patrolling U.S. military aircraft. All of the encounters have occurred in international airspace 50 to 100 miles from Chinese territory.
U.S. intelligence officials said the latest intercept of 150 feet is a sign the Chinese military appears to be stepping up harassment of U.S. surveillance aircraft. The P-3 was conducting intelligence gathering of large-scale Chinese war games now under way opposite Taiwan. Some 100,000 Chinese troops are involved in the annual exercises.
Chinese