- Australian Defense Ministry says, a Chinese fighter jet’s aggressive manoeuvres endangered the crew of an Australian surveillance plane patrolling near the South China Sea.
- While on a normal surveillance flight in international airspace, the Chinese J-16 came alongside the Australian P-8.
- Discharging flares and chaff that penetrated at least one of the Australian aircraft’s engines; according to Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.
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Chaff is normally released by military planes as a planned countermeasure to confuse missiles; but it can also be used to sabotage following aircraft. The encounter was described by Australia’s Defense Ministry as “a risky movement that posed a safety concern to the P-8 aircraft and its crew.”
In a television interview, Marles informed Australia’s 9News; that the J-16 aircraft came quite close to the side of the P-8 and that by doing so, it discharged flares.
“The J-16 then accelerated and cut across the P-8’s nose, settling in front of it at a very close range.”