U.S. releases Video footage of aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes

According to Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, DOD officials believe that China is engaging in “a centralized and concerted campaign” to “coerce a change in lawful U.S. operational activity” through the unsafe interceptions of a US citizen and allied aircraft in international airspace.

The images and video made public on Tuesday represent a portion of what the Pentagon believes to be China’s “centralized and concerted campaign” to alter Us operations in the area. Since the fall of 2021, there have been over 180 incidents of “coercive and risky” behavior against U.S. jets.

A portion of these intercepts’ video was made available by the DOD. One of these was when a PLA fighter jet passed in front of an American aircraft that was flying legally at a distance of only 100 yards. In May of this year, A video showing a PLA aircraft rushing beside an American aircraft before cutting in front of it was published by Indo-Pacom.

“This vision is characterized by respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law, belief in transparency and openness, freedom of commerce and navigation, equal rights for all states and the resolution of disputes through peaceful means, not through coercion or conquest.”