US Indo-Pacific Command Confirms B-52 Buzzed by China Jet is from Louisiana

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The US Department of Defense released amazing video of a Chinese Fighter Jet approaching a B-52 coming within 3 meters, (appr 10 feet) of the American aircraft as it was flying over the South China Sea.

KEEL News reached out to officials at Indo-Pacific Command Friday.  Commander Matthew Comer confirmed the B-52 involved is, in fact, a B-52 from Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA.  Commander Comer told KEEL News the B-52 was part of the Bomber Task Force based out of Guam.

Indo-Pacific Command released the following statement about the Intercept:

SOUTH CHINA SEA  –

On Oct. 24, 2023, a People’s Republic of China J-11 pilot executed an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force B-52 aircraft, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace. During the night time intercept, the PRC pilot flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision. We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision.

The PRC intercept was conducted at night, with limited visibility, in a manner contrary to international air safety rules and norms. Military aircraft, when intentionally approaching another, shall operate with professional airmanship and give due regard for the safety of other aircraft.

This incident represents the latest example of what the Department of Defense described in the 2023 China Military Power Report (CMPR) as "unsafe, unprofessional, and other behaviors that seek to impinge upon the ability of the United States and other nations to safely conduct operations where international law allows," including more than 180 such interactions since the fall of 2021. On October 17, 2023, the Department released a collection of declassified images and videos depicting a dangerous pattern of coercive and risky operational behavior by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) against U.S. aircraft operating lawfully in international airspace in the East and South China Sea regions. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3559903/department-of-defense-releases-declassified-images-videos-of-coercive-and-risky/

The U.S will continue to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international laws allow. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Joint Force remains dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and we expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific to operate in international airspace safely and in accordance with international law.

This video was provided by the US Indo-Pacific Command. But the date and location have not yet been verified.

US military sources have reported a dangerously close encounter between a Chinese jet and a US bomber over the South China Sea, earlier this week. The US has attributed this incident as the latest among several other instances of China's aggressive aerial maneuvers.

The U.S. military says this incident nearly caused an accident. The Chinese and the United States have been working to have a bigger influence in that region.

Here Is Information Released About the Incident:

"In the night intercept, the Shenyang J-11 twin-engine fighter closed on the U.S. Air Force plane at an “uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of a collision,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement released late Thursday.

“We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision,” the military said.