Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an Air Force WC-135 Constant Phoenix in an unsafe manner, including flying inverted above the USAF plane on Wednesday. The WC-135 was flying a “routine” mission in international airspace over the East China Sea at the time, according to Pacific Air Forces. The Su-30 jets came within 150 feet of the WC-135, and one flew in an “inverted maneuver,” a defense official told ABC News. The US military is addressing the incident with China, according to PACAF. The Air Force’s WC-135 has repeatedly flown in the region to detect possible nuclear tests by collecting air samples the the region.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.