Chinese fighter jets drop flares to intercept Canadian helicopter over South China Sea

CNN quoted Canadian defense officials as saying that the Canadian navy and Chinese fighter jets had a dangerous confrontation in international waters in the South China Sea last weekend.

A Chinese fighter jet fired flares at a Canadian naval helicopter as an interception, Canadian defense officials said, which could have led to the helicopter crashing.

“The risk to the helicopter in that case was that the flare would have landed on the rotor or the engine, so the action was unsafe, substandard, unprofessional,” said Lieutenant Commander Rob Millen, the air officer aboard the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa.

Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341). (Photo: Canadian Navy)

This is the second collision between a Canadian naval helicopter and a Chinese navy J-11 fighter jet, Major Millen told CNN. In the incident last weekend, the Chinese aircraft came within 30 meters of the Canadian helicopter.

Millen added that Canada and other countries have seen Chinese aircraft flying close to each other on numerous occasions, but it is rare to see Chinese pilots using flares to disrupt air traffic.

Officers aboard the Ottawa said the incident occurred while a Canadian helicopter was searching for a submarine in the area.

“As the Chinese interceptors got closer and closer, at some point it became unsafe,” said Major Millen, adding that the Canadian helicopter encountered turbulence from the Chinese jets, which also posed a risk to the helicopter.

When asked about the interception at a regular press conference on November 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not receive a report on the situation from the Canadian side.

A Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone anti-submarine helicopter collided with a Chinese aircraft on October 29. (Photo: AP)

“We have repeatedly reiterated our position on Canadian fighter jets conducting reconnaissance near Chinese territory. We hope Canada will refrain from inappropriate behavior to avoid further complicating the situation,” Wang Wenbin said.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on this information.

Previously, on October 26, the US military's Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) released a video recording a Chinese J-11 fighter jet approaching a B-52 strategic bomber in international airspace over the East Sea on the night of October 24.

The video released by INDOPACOM also shows the Chinese fighter jets coming very close to the B-52, but the actual risk of collision remains unclear. However, the interception was conducted at night, with limited visibility, adding to the danger.

Tra Khanh (Source: CNN)

Source