Australia Accuses Chinese Fighter Pilots of Conducting “Unsafe Aerial Maneuver”
Australia has protested against what it described as an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver” carried out by Chinese pilots over the South China Sea. A Chinese fighter jet reportedly released flares that posed a danger to an Australian military surveillance aircraft.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday that a Chinese J-16 fighter jet had released flares just 30 meters (100 feet) away from an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft in broad daylight and in international airspace on Tuesday.
The Australian aircraft typically carries a crew of eight or nine members. Marles stated that “the aircraft was not damaged, and none of the crew members were injured.”
Speaking to Sky News, Marles added, “The J-16 was so close that there was no way to guarantee the flares wouldn’t hit the P-8.” He continued, “If any of those flares had struck the P-8, they would have undoubtedly caused significant damage to the aircraft.”
Australia lodged a protest with the Chinese embassy in Canberra and also in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday.
In its complaint, Australia accused the Chinese pilots of conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver that posed a danger to the aircraft and its crew.” The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
