Near-Miss Reported Over Taiwan Straits - Grand Central Times - December 18th 2019

[Capt Boyle]

Near-Miss Reported Over Taiwan Straits

Grand Central Times
Dateline: December 18th 2019

 

Sources in the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense have confirmed a series of incidents that occurred over the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. The first of the incidents began after a pair of H-6 bombers and four J-11 fighters began encroaching on Taiwanese airspace. Six Taiwanese F-16s scrambled to intercept them over the Taiwan Strait and reportedly locked fire control radars onto the two bombers, resulting in the Chinese fighter jets locking on to the Taiwanese aircraft. Both sides did eventually withdraw, but tensions were high.

 

Pictured: Chinese H-6 bomber flying over the Taiwan Strait

 

Another flight of Chinese aircraft consisting of twelve fighter jets launched soon afterwards and again received a response from the Taiwanese with eight F-16s intercepting them. As the Chinese fighters continued to approach Taiwanese airspace, the Taiwanese planes began positioning themselves in front of the encroaching aircraft. At one point, an F-16 reportedly got within ten feet of a Chinese fighter jet before the plane broke off its approach. Analysts of the region are raising concerns that China is exerting its military might in a much more aggressive manner now that the US has turned its attention to Europe.

 

By Joseph Stillwell
Grand Central Times

[SSgt Benson]

Intense.

[T. Cole]

Stillwell is back in China!