Chinese make ‘unsafe’ intercept of U.S. Air Force plane

WASHINGTON, June 7 (UPI) — A U.S. Air Force aircraft in international airspace over the East China Sea was intercepted in an “unsafe manner” by a Chinese fighter jet, defense officials said Tuesday.

The Chinese J-10 jet came at a “high rate of speed as it closed in” on an Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft. The jet flew about 100 feet from the RC-135, but the speed and altitude, which was the same as the Air force plane, is defined as unsafe, the officials said.

It is not known how long the intercept lasted.

“Initial assessment is that this seems to be a case of improper airmanship, as no other provocative or unsafe maneuvers occurred,” said Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command in a statement issued late Tuesday. “The Department of Defense is addressing the issue with China in appropriate diplomatic and military channels.”

A U.S. Navy EP-3 Ares electronic surveillance aircraft flying in international airspace in the South China Sea was intercepted by two Chinese J-11 fighters on May 17, U.S. officials said. One of the jets performed a barrel-roll around the American plane. The U.S. later filed a diplomatic protest about the incident.