A Chinese fighter on Aug. 19 conducted a “dangerous intercept” of a US Navy P-8 surveillance aircraft flying a “routine mission” some 135 miles east of Hainan Island in international airspace over the South China Sea, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby announced Aug. 22. Kirby said the People’s Liberation Army Air Force J-11 (a variant of the Su-27) acted “aggressive[ly]” and “very unprofessional[ly].” The jet made three dangerous passes to the aircraft, including one that was very close underneath, one within 30 feet of the US aircraft’s wingtips, and one pass right off the nose with its belly facing the cockpit, with the clear intention of displaying its air-to-air missiles, said Kirby. The US has registered its concerns with the Chinese through official diplomatic channels as of Friday, he added, noting the act undermines efforts to build military-to-military relations with the PLA. Earlier this year, a Russian Su-27 conducted a dangerous intercept of a USAF RC-135 flying in airspace near Japan. (Kirby transcript.)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
