Near collision in the sky

Close encounter: The J-11 fighter jet flying beside the US Air Force RC-135 plane over the South China Sea. — Reuters

A CHINESE fighter jet flew dangerously within 20 feet (6m) of a much larger US air force surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.

In the Dec 21 incident, a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter pilot “performed an unsafe manoeuvre during an intercept of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft”, the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.