Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes

New footage released by the Pentagon shows some of the more than 180 intercepts of United States warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years.

US military officials say it is more than the total amount of intercepts over the previous decade, calling it part of a concerning trend.

The photos and video were released in advance of a soon-to-be-issued annual report by the Pentagon on China’s military power and the security threats it may pose to partners in the Indo-Pacific.

The Pentagon has tried for years to posture itself to be ready for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan even as it now finds itself supporting allies in two hot wars, Ukraine in Europe and Israel in the Middle East.

Admiral John Acquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said at a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday that despite the US surging carrier strike groups and amphibious ships to support Israel, and now almost 20 months of war in Ukraine, the command has what it needs to deter China.

“I haven’t had one piece of equipment or force structure depart” his command, he said, referring to ships, aircraft and military units.

The officials said the Chinese flights were risky and aggressive in nature, but stopped short of calling most of them unsafe — a specific term that is used only in the most egregious cases.

Still, the officials said it was important to release the footage and call out the behaviour because they said it was part of a larger trend of regional intimidation by China that could accidentally lead to conflict.

“All of these examples we’ve released today underscore the coercive intent of [China] by engaging in behaviours particularly in international airspace,” said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs.

AP/ABC