The Australian defense department revealed on Sunday that a Chinese fighter aircraft had intercepted one of its Royal Australian Air Force planes in May, which resulted in a dangerous maneuver where it released a bundle of chaff that posed a threat to both the aircraft and its crew.
The Australian defense ministry said that one of its RAAF P-8 aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter jet while the P-8 was doing 'routine surveillance activity' in international airspace in the South China Sea on May 26th, according to a statement.
The statement said, "The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew". The Australian defense department also said that its government raised concerns about the incident with the Chinese government.
Australian defense minister Richard Marles said that the Chinese aircraft flew very close to the RAAF P-8 aircraft and then released a 'bundle of chaff' which contained small pieces of aluminum which were then sucked up by the Australian aircraft's engine.
Marles told ABC News that this was "Quite obviously this is very dangerous".
The Australian defense ministry said that one of its RAAF P-8 aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter jet while the P-8 was doing 'routine surveillance activity' in international airspace in the South China Sea on May 26th, according to a statement.
The statement said, "The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew". The Australian defense department also said that its government raised concerns about the incident with the Chinese government.
Australian defense minister Richard Marles said that the Chinese aircraft flew very close to the RAAF P-8 aircraft and then released a 'bundle of chaff' which contained small pieces of aluminum which were then sucked up by the Australian aircraft's engine.
Marles told ABC News that this was "Quite obviously this is very dangerous".