A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance plane, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Public Affairs.
“The PLAN pilot flew an unsafe maneuver by flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the RC-135, forcing the RC-135 to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision,” the message added.
The incident, which involved a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet and a U.S. air force RC-135 aircraft, took place on Dec. 21, the U.S. military said in a statement.
“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” it added.
The J-11 is a Chinese-made twin-engine, single-seat air superiority fighter, based on the Sukhoi Su-27’s design. It has a Western reporting name Flanker B+.