In a rare move, a Chinese fighter jet launched flares in front of a Canadian helicopter flying over the South China Sea, as reported by the Department of National Defence. The incident occurred on October 29 and involved a Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa. The helicopter was conducting routine maneuvers over international airspace when it was intercepted by two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) J-11 fighter jets. While the initial encounters were safe, the subsequent ones were not. During the second sortie, a J-11 fighter launched flares directly in front of the helicopter, necessitating evasive action by the pilot to avoid them.
According to Maj. Rob Millen, who was on board HMCS Ottawa, the risk to the helicopter in this instance was the flares moving into the rotor blades or the engines. He described the maneuver as unsafe, non-standard, and unprofessional. Maj. Millen had been flying over international waters near the Paracel Island chain in search of a previously detected submarine in the area.
Close-range interceptions by Chinese fighter jets have been documented before but targeting helicopters is uncommon. The Chinese jets circled the helicopter, causing turbulence, and Maj. Millen ended the encounter by flying down to an altitude of 200 feet, which is very uncomfortable for fast air fighter jets. HMCS Ottawa is currently engaged in maneuvers in the South China Sea as part of a two-ship deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The ship left Esquimalt base in August, along with HMCS Vancouver, which was deployed in Northeast Asia to help enforce UN sanctions against North Korea.
China’s navy and air force have routinely harassed military assets from Canada and other countries operating in the region. In a separate incident, a Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of a US B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea on October 24. The US military expressed concern about the pilot’s unawareness of the close call, labeling it unsafe and unprofessional. The US has reported more than 180 instances of Chinese aircraft taking such actions against its assets in the region since 2021.
In mid-October, a Global News crew aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force Aurora surveillance plane filmed Chinese fighter jets coming within about five meters during an interception. The Chinese military has not only targeted aircraft but also ships as it seeks to deter the US and its allies from freely operating in the area. In June, Global captured a video on board HMCS Montreal of a Chinese warship cutting off a US destroyer in the Taiwan Strait.