The official newspaper of the Chinese Armed Forces, PLA Dailyrevealed that fighter jets from the Eastern Theater Command had detected the radar of a strange stealth plane locked just half a mile away.
The incident, the date and location of which have not been disclosed, is said to have occurred during an interception that China viewed as a response to “aerial provocations.”
Experts affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) estimate that the Chinese aircraft involved was a J-16 was, a multi-purpose model widely used by the country’s air force.
The strange aircraft was not identified, but the report describes a tactical approach involving coordinated maneuvers between the lead fighter and the wingman, which resulted in the lock-on of the radar — a procedure that indicates immediate deployment capability.
This is the second case reported by state media in just over four months. In October, CCTV reported that another J-16 had forced two foreign stealth fighters to leave the area during an exercise in 2024. At the time, analysts suggested the planes may have been F-22 Raptors, one of the main stealth fighters in service worldwide.
The Eastern Theater Command, responsible for sensitive areas such as the East China Sea and the Taiwan area, has stepped up patrols and exercises amid regional tensions. Beijing considers the island part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force for reunification, while the United States maintains military support for Taipei and has a frequent presence in the region.
Bron: South China Morning Post | Photo: @DavidWangPLA | This content was created using AI and reviewed by the editorial team
