Chinese Military Jet Comes Within 10 Feet Of U.S. Plane, Forces Evasive Maneuvers

A Chinese military jet came within 10 feet of a U.S. Air Force plane earlier this month, forcing the U.S. plane to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision, according to Reuters National Security Correspondent Idrees Ali.

“The U.S. military says a Chinese Navy flew within 20 feet of a U.S. air force plane on Dec. 21,” Ali wrote on Twitter. “The U.S. air force RC-135 was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision in international waters over the South China Sea.”

The U.S. air force RC-135 was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision in international waters over the South China Sea.

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) December 29, 2022

Ali posted a video of the incident, and added, “The Chinese jet came within 10 feet of the U.S. plane’s wing, but 20 feet from its nose, which caused it to take evasive maneuvers.”

The Chinese jet came within 10 feet of the U.S. plane's wing, but 20 feet from its nose, which caused it to take evasive maneuvers.

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) December 29, 2022

The incident marks China’s increasing military aggression in the region, with military experts now warning that China may invade Taiwan within the next year. 

“It’s not just what [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] says, it’s how the Chinese behave and what they do. And what we’ve seen over the past 20 years is that they have delivered on every promise they’ve made earlier than they said they were going to deliver on it,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday explained during an event held by the Atlantic Council earlier this year.

Gilday continued, “So when we talk about the 2027 window” for an invasion of Taiwan, referencing a previous prediction made last year by Adm. Phil Davidson, “in my mind, that has to be a 2022 window or potentially a 2023 window.”