Hundreds of “Highly Concerning” Intercepts

The Pentagon has released footage of only a portion of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes undertaken by Chinese aircraft over the last two years. The number exceeds the total such incidents transpired over the preceding decade and underscores an evolving, eminently worrying trend.

The described photos and video were released in advance of the Pentagon’s soon-to-be issued annual report on China’s military power and the security threats to the U.S. and its allies posed thereby.

The Pentagon has endeavored for years to ready itself and the forces under its command for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan. U.S. readiness, however, is at an all-time low as the Biden administration has prioritized certain global conflicts. 

At a Pentagon press briefing, Admiral John Acquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, opined the U.S., despite deploying vast tracts of its military assets to support Ukraine and Israel, is ready to take on China.

“I haven’t had one piece of equipment or force structure depart,” Acquilino stated, referring to ships, aircraft, and military units. “We have been taking a number of steps to strengthen our commitment to the region, strengthen our deterrence in the region, and we will continue to do that.”

Acquilino’s assertions are sharply contradicted by former Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry Harris, who stated on 17 October 2023 that the U.S. is ill-prepared to face off against China, and must take immediate steps to replenish war-stores given over to the Russo-Ukraine conflict.

Admiral Harris stated U.S. policymakers must acknowledge "we dug a hole, and we dove right into that hole."

To meet the mounting Chinese military threat, Harris recommended the U.S. must contemporaneously beef up its own industrial base and look to allies with well-developed naval shipyards—such as Japan and South Korea.

Pentagon officials have contended loudly and repeatedly that the Chinese bellicosity chronicled in the newly-released video footage, though “risky and aggressive,” is not, as of yet, unsafe.

Baffling in their propensity for contradiction, the same Pentagon officials asserted the importance of releasing the intercept footage, stating it evinced a larger trend of regional intimidation by China that could accidentally lead to conflict.

Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, stated: “All of these examples we’ve released today underscore the coercive intent of [China] by engaging in behaviors, particularly in international airspace. The bottom line is that in many cases, this type of operational behavior can cause active and dangerous accidents.”

FMI: www.mil.gov