Is this the level of the US military now? On the way to Venezuela, it nearly collided with a passenger plane!
Recently, a US Air Force KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft was reported to have suddenly entered the front of a JetBlue Airlines passenger plane climbing toward New York's JFK Airport, while flying in the direction of Venezuela — the two planes were at the same altitude and had a lateral distance of less than five nautical miles, almost causing a catastrophic collision.
The most alarming part is that the US military aircraft kept its transponder turned off throughout the entire incident. This means it was almost "invisible" on civilian radar systems, directly causing the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) on the passenger plane to fail completely.
From the air traffic control recordings released afterward, the pilot of the JetBlue flight clearly expressed shock and even anger: "They just flew directly through our route... and they didn't turn on the transponder. That's infuriating."
Over the past few months, the US military has repeatedly conducted so-called "freedom of navigation" and "show of force" operations in the Caribbean region. KC-135 refueling aircraft often accompany F-16 or P-8 patrol aircraft deployed to the area, providing logistical support for potential intervention operations.
But the key point is that Curaçao is not a war zone but an airspace frequently used by international civil aviation. Although the island belongs to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, its geographical location is close to the northern coast of Venezuela, making it an important node for transatlantic flights. Conducting "covert" flights in such busy airspace carries significant risks.
This incident exposed loopholes in the US military's procedures during non-war military operations — even though they have the world's most advanced aviation equipment, there was clearly a disconnect in mission planning, airspace coordination, and risk assessment.
In the end, the core competitiveness of modern air power is not just about stealth fighters or refueling range, but also the ability to manage complex airspace with precision. A refueling aircraft that doesn't even follow basic aviation rules, and even if you manage to avoid it, it still nearly collides — it's hard not to ask: Is this really the level of the US military now?
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851633031684106/
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