U.S. RC-135 Spy Plane Sets Record With Close Flight Off The Chinese Coastline

USAF RC-135U Combat Sent #AE01D5 just set a new record of 25.33NM, the shortest distance US reconnaissance aircraft have reached from the China's coastlines, based on public data so far.

In addition, there was also a P-8A & an EP-3E spotted over the #SouthChinaSea, March 22. pic.twitter.com/uLv49u70Gv

— SCS Probing Initiative (@SCS_PI) March 22, 2021

Warzone/The Drive: Did An RC-135 Spy Plane Really Make An Unprecedented Run At Chinese Airspace Near Taiwan? 

Public flight tracking data showed the RC-135U spy plane very near Chinese airspace, but that info alone doesn't tell the whole story. 

AU.S. Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent electronic intelligence aircraft flew a mission over the Strait of Taiwan this morning, supposedly approaching nearly 25 nautical miles from the coast of mainland China. The Beijing-based SCS Probing Initiative claims that today’s flight came closer to the Chinese coast than any other previously recorded, based on publicly available data, but the story may not be so straightforward. 

The RC-135U, serial number 64-14849, which was visible using online flight-tracking websites under the transponder code AE01D5, had been preceded by a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and an EP-3E Aries II intelligence-gathering plane operating in the South China Sea, all in the course of March 22, the SCS Probing Initiative noted in a Tweet. 

Read more .... 

Update #1: U.S. Spy Plane Sets Record With Close Flight Off Chinese Coastline (Newsweek) 

Update #2: USAF Spy Plane Makes Unprecedented Flight Off China's Coast (Zero Hedge). 

WNU Editor: I am surprised that the Chinese did not confront this US spy plane with one of their fighter jets. If an advanced Russian spy plane was flying 25 miles off the coast of the U.S., or a U.S. spy plane 25 miles off the coast of Russia, both countries will be responding very quickly with one or two of their fighter jets.

Update #3: Here is a Chinese response to this US spy plane "record" .... US close-in reconnaissance on China hits new record amid PLA live-fire exercises (Global Times).

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