In a deja vu-like incident, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-16 fighter jet deployed flares against an Australian P-8A reconnaissance aircraft over the disputed South China Sea. The incident once again highlights China’s alleged high-handedness in the region, a charge Beijing vehemently denies.
The Australian Department of Defense said the incident occurred on February 11 when China’s J-16 fired flares within 30 meters of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 Poseidon.
“An Australian Air Force P-8 aircraft in international airspace was challenged above the South China Sea by two J-16 Chinese Air Force fast jets, there were several interactions between those jets and the P-8,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told ABC News. “But one of the interactions involved the deployment of flares very close to the Australian P-8 such that those flares passed within about 30 meters of the Australian aircraft,” he added.
The Australian Defense Department has described the interaction between the two aircraft as “unsafe and unprofessional.” Fortunately, no personnel were injured in the incident, and the aircraft was not harmed.
According to the report, the Australian Defense Department has lodged formal objections with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in both Canberra and Beijing.
“The Australian government has expressed its concerns to the Chinese government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People’s Liberation Army — Air Force (PLA-AF) aircraft,” the Defense Department said in a statement. ”Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner.”
China mounted a strong counteroffensive and described the incident as a “deliberate intrusion” into its airspace. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told a press conference that Australia “jeopardized” China’s national security and that the Chinese side had taken “proper, legal, and professional measures to exercise restraint.”
In a separate development, three Chinese warships have been spotted lurking near Australia. The Australian Defense Forces (ADF) said two People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel were navigating the Coral Sea.
“Defence is aware of a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group operating to the northeast of Australia,” the ADF said. “Defence can confirm the Chinese vessels are the PLA-N Jiangkai-class frigate named Hengyang, the PLA-N Renhai cruiser named Zunyi, and the PLA-N Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu.”
The latest episode once again underscores the volatility of the Indo-Pacific region. China claims a large part of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory and remains vested in several protracted territorial disputes with neighboring Southeast Asian states. The PLA has effectively built and militarized many artificial islands in the hotly contested region in the Indo-Pacific.
China is notorious for conducting dangerous interceptions of foreign military aircraft in the international air space over the South and East China Seas. Moreover, it regularly criticizes the presence of Western military assets in the region, calling it “provocative.”
China’s “Weapon Of Choice”
Flares have emerged as China’s preferred weapon in countering adversaries’ military aircraft. While flares are normally released by military planes as a planned countermeasure to confuse missiles, they can also be used to sabotage an aircraft.
These flares create powerful beams of light that can travel enormous distances and temporarily blind pilots by illuminating aircraft cockpits. Flares are commonly composed of a pyrotechnic composition based on magnesium or another hot-burning metal and can also physically damage the aircraft.
The latest incident involving the RAAF P-8A comes months after PLA Air Force’s J-10 fighter jet released flares dangerously near an Australian helicopter when the latter was on a United Nations mission in international waters.
The helicopter in question was a Royal Australian Navy’s SeaHawk that took off from the destroyer HMAS Hobart from 300 meters away. Soon after, a Chinese PLA Air Force J-10 fighter jet came dangerously close and released flares.
The incident took place over the Yellow Sea, off the coast of Korea, prompting the authorities to lodge a protest with the Chinese administration. At the time, Richard Marles said the helicopter pilot had to maneuver to avoid getting struck by the flares. He noted, “The consequence of being hit by the flares would have been significant.”
A major incident identical to the latest one occurred on May 26, 2022. At that time, an RAAF P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in international airspace in the South China Sea region. Following this, the Chinese aircraft “flew very close to the side of the [Australian] P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft” and released flares.
The Chinese state media released footage of the above incident in September 2024. The video showed the J-16 fighter jet fired flares and chaff — aluminum fragments — into the flight path of the P-8, which were reportedly sucked into its engine. The proximity and maneuvers posed a significant safety risk to the Australian aircraft and its crew.
Back in 2022, Australia had also accused China of firing military-grade lasers on one of its P-8 aircraft from its warship in February that year.
Chinese aircraft have also reportedly fired flares at Canadian, US, and Filipino military aircraft. In October 2023, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s J-11 fighter aircraft fired flares at a Canadian Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter over the international waters in the South China Sea.
Ottawa’s helicopter encountered China’s J-11 fighter aircraft over international seas on October 29. The second encounter saw the fighters approach as close as 100 feet from the chopper.
More recently, military aircraft belonging to the Philippines have been buzzed by Chinese fighter jets on multiple occasions over the South China Sea. Last year, for instance, Chinese fighter jets fired flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force NC-212i light transport aircraft on a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both countries.
Even US P-8A reconnaissance aircraft has been buzzed with military-grade lasers fired from Chinese warships in the Pacific in 2020.
Clearly, despite repeated protests and warnings issued by the International community, China has continued to use its dangerous tactics of deploying flares and military-grade lasers on military aircraft of its adversaries.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari9555 (at) gmail.com
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
