Armed Chinese jets drive off US spy plane over Yellow Sea

[goldenequity]

Armed Chinese jets drive off US spy plane over Yellow Sea




A US spy plane flying near the eastern coast of China was intercepted by two Chinese fighter jets and had to change course, US officials said. The surveillance aircraft was flying over international waters between China and South Korea.

The incident took place on Sunday, unnamed US officials told reporters on Monday. An EP-3 ARIES signals intelligence plane was flying about 90 miles (140km) south of the port city of Qingdao, when it was approached by two J-10 interceptors, armed with air-to-air missiles.

One of the Chinese jets flew under the EP-3 and popped up 300 feet (90 meters) in front of the US plane, causing the crew “to take evasive action to avoid collision,” according to one official.

The EP-3 Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System (ARIES) is a version of the P-3 Orion spy plane. Both are in service with the US Navy.
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A US Navy P-3 Orion Maritime patrol aircraft © Carlos Jasso ’Unsafe intercept’: US officials accuse China of buzzing spy plane

This is the third time in recent months that Chinese interceptors have warned off US spy planes flying off the coast of China.

[phill4paul]

I'm glad they were armed. That would have been embarrassing if they weren't.