The Pentagon has released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of US warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years — more than the total amount over the previous decade and part of a trend US military officials called concerning.
The photos and video were released in advance of a soon-to-be issued annual report by the Pentagon on the 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 U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said at a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday that despite the US surging carrier strike groups and amphibious ships to support Israel, and now almost 20 months of war in Ukraine, “I haven’t had one piece of equipment or force structure depart” his command, referring to ships, aircraft and military units.
“We have been taking a number of steps to strengthen our commitment to the region, strengthen our deterrence in the region and we will continue to do that,” he said. 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.