Footage recently released by Chinese state media appears to show a close encounter between Chinese and American carrier-based fighter jets over an undisclosed location in waters.
“We don’t have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but we routinely operate in the vicinity of foreign aircraft and ships in international waters and airspace in the Indo-Pacific,” the U.S. Pacific Fleet told Newsweek.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
The U.S. military often operates in the western Pacific Ocean, including in the contested East and South China Seas, where its aircraft have been intercepted by the Chinese military. The Pentagon has previously accused the Chinese air force of conducting unsafe intercepts.
The U.S.’s aircraft carriers have been deployed to the waters west of the international date line on a rotating basis, maintaining the U.S.’s naval presence. They are protected by fighter jets embarked aboard, which are tasked with intercepting foreign aircraft approaching the ships.
What To Know
On April 11, the state-run China Central Television aired a documentary about the country’s aircraft carrier fleet. The Chinese navy has two aircraft carriers in active service, while a third is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025, according to the Pentagon.
The documentary, which goes into detail about the flight operations of the J-15 carrier-based fighter jets, briefly shows the undated close encounter in question. A J-15 fighter jet can be seen flying close to a second fighter aircraft positioned to its front left.
China Central Television
Chinese military observers identified the second fighter jet as a U.S. Navy F/A-18 based on its shape. A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet did not confirm nor deny whether it was the F/A-18 fighter aircraft, which is the backbone of the U.S.’s carrier-based aviation force.
The jet, also known as the Super Hornet, comes with the single-seat E variant and the two-seat F variant. It is designed for a wide range of missions, including escort and interdiction.
It was not immediately clear why American and Chinese carrier-based fighter aircraft had an encounter. A Chinese military observer said the J-15 jet was dispatched to “intercept and drive away” the F/A-18 jet during a Chinese aircraft carrier’s “ocean-going training.”
CNS Shandong, the second Chinese aircraft carrier, held three “far-seas training events” in the Philippine Sea in 2023, the Pentagon’s report on China’s military power said. The Philippine Sea is also a major operating area for U.S. aircraft carriers during their western Pacific Ocean deployments.
Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Japeth Carter/U.S. Navy
The Philippine Sea is located between the first and second island chains, which are part of a U.S. containment strategy seeking to restrict China’s military access to the Pacific Ocean.
In September, China’s first operational aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning, was spotted 559 miles northwest of Guam, the U.S.’s westernmost territory and a key military hub.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet said: “The U.S. Navy is committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, alongside our allies and partners, where all nations large and small have the freedom to sail and fly consistent with international law.”
The Pentagon’s report on Chinese military power said: “Since late 2023, the [People’s Liberation Army] has reduced the number of coercive and risky air intercepts of U.S. platforms compared to the previous two years, when the PLA engaged in notably increased aggressive activity, particularly in the East and South China Seas.”
What Happens Next
The American and Chinese militaries are likely to have further encounters at sea and in the air while operating in the western Pacific Ocean.
