The United States has condemned the “unsafe” conduct of a Chinese J-11 fighter jet that late Tuesday flew to within 10 feet of a US Air Force B-52 bomber conducting “routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace”.
The use of the term “unsafe” is significant since it is only used in most extreme cases. The US military’s Indo-Pacific Command further said the Chinese fighter pilot’s actions “demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet (of the B-52), putting both aircraft in danger of collision.”
“…intercept was conducted at night, with limited visibility, in a manner contrary to international air safety rules and norms. Military aircraft, when intentionally approaching another, shall operate with professional airmanship and give due regard for safety…”
“We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision.”
