A Chinese fighter jet challenged an Australian reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea, releasing bundles of chaff in its path.
A Chinese fighter jet challenged an Australian reconnaissance plane last month over the South China Sea, flying close by before releasing flares and bundles of chaff that entered at least one of its target’s engines causing a return to base.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Sunday that Canberra had raised concerns with Beijing about the “very dangerous” mid-air incident, which occurred in international airspace on May 26. “The J-16 aircraft flew very close to the side of the P-8 … in flying close to the side, it released flares,” MarlesAustralia’s 9News in a televised interview. “The J-16 then accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at a very close distance.
“At that moment it then released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminum, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft. Quite obviously, this is very dangerous,” Marles said.