>>19764194 LB

>>‘Highly Concerning Behavior’: Pentagon Declassifies Nearly 200 Intercepts Between US And Chinese Warplanes

Location & flight path are important. Intercepts of foreign military aircraft approaching the airspace of another country is standard air defense operating procedure. (picrel)

>>“That’s nearly 200 cases where [People’s Liberation Army] operators have performed reckless maneuvers or discharged chaff or shot off flares or approached too rapidly or too close to U.S. aircraft,” Ratner said. “All as part of trying to interfere with the ability of U.S. forces to operate safely in places where we and every country in the world have every right to be under international law.”

Safety concerns, yes. After an intercept of foreign military aircraft approaching the airspace of another country, attempts to alter the intercepted aircraft’s flight path are SOP although the tactics employed may differ from country to country. We, the United States, do the same thing. That is, we protect our airspace from foreign military aircraft, on a heading that would take them into our airspace, by intercepting & “encouraging” them to alter their flight path before they enter our airspace.