Not focusing on its own business, but constantly following the United States in the Asia-Pacific to provoke. As one of the most steadfast allies of the United States, Canada once again appeared on the scene after provoking without success. According to a report from CBS News in the United States, on October 6, a Canadian CP-140 anti-submarine patrol aircraft was driven away by the Chinese Air Force fighter jets in the East China Sea. Two fighters came at once, and the J-16 even carried live ammunition for interception. The absence of a co-pilot mode put great pressure on the Canadian pilots.

Air interception

It's the same old tactic, coming to cause trouble during our National Day holiday. This Canadian CP-140 patrol aircraft is deployed at Kadena Air Base in Japan. A CBS reporter took off to interview, recording the entire process of the aircraft being intercepted in the East China Sea. According to American media, they were on a mission to track North Korean vessels. Flying in international airspace, there's no issue of illegally entering another country's airspace, but they often get close to Chinese airspace and territorial waters, causing strong reactions from China and being intercepted multiple times.

This time, the American media recorded the entire process. From the video footage, it can be seen that China dispatched two aircraft, the Su-30MKK and the J-16, to intercept. The Chinese pilot issued a warning, while the Canadian pilot stated that they were flying in international airspace, executing a mission, and continued flying. The Su-30MKK approached first and maintained a close escort for 30 minutes, then left without further actions. However, several hours later, another J-16 fighter arrived to closely monitor, cutting in from the side of the CP-140 patrol aircraft, with the closest distance being about 200 feet, approximately 60 meters.

American media recorded the whole process

The distance between both sides was about 60 meters

At such a close distance, you could basically see the pilot's movements. Unlike previous interceptions where the planes didn't carry any weapons or carried fewer weapons, this J-16 came in an air superiority mode, carrying two PL-15 medium-range missiles and two PL-10 short-range combat missiles under its belly. These two missiles are all mainstays of the Chinese Air Force, especially the PL-15, which performed well in the India-Pakistan conflict, shooting down a "Rafale" fighter jet over 180 kilometers away. Now, the range and power of the domestically used version may be even greater. If it can be so effective against fighter jets, it's even more powerful when deterring large patrol aircraft.

By contrast, the Canadian CP-140 anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft, based on the American P-3 series anti-submarine aircraft, was introduced in the 1980s and mainly undertakes anti-submarine reconnaissance and maritime surveillance missions. It integrates Canada's self-developed electronic reconnaissance systems, making its performance weaker than the American P-3C. Since 2022, it has repeatedly conducted reconnaissance missions in the East China Sea and around the Diaoyu Islands, and has been intercepted by the PLA's fighter jets on multiple occasions. For example, in October 2023, a Canadian Air Force CP-140 anti-submarine patrol aircraft got close to Chinese airspace near the East China Sea, was intercepted by the J-10S with live ammunition, and was sprayed with a flare.

J-16 intercepting with live ammunition

J-10S also intercepted the CP-140

J-10S also intercepted the CP-140

However, Canada, relying on the backing of the United States, has never taken these intercepts seriously. In fact, since this year, it has announced the deployment of the CP-140 to Kadena Base to strengthen its presence. Such arrogance naturally requires a stronger response. With heavy fighters like the Su-30MKK and J-16 carrying live ammunition for close interception, Canadian pilots have felt the deterrence. In an interview, they said that such close interception added considerable pressure, but they would do their best to alleviate it and ensure the safety of the aircraft. Of course, saying is one thing, and the case of being sprayed with flares before makes Canadian planes not too bold when facing live ammunition. After completing a nine-hour mission, they returned to base.

In this interception, the rear seat of the J-16 did not have a pilot, which sparked various speculations among netizens. Some even speculated whether an artificial intelligence system was installed, allowing the rear seat pilot to be released, enabling a single pilot to easily control flight and weapon launch. However, a more plausible judgment is that for this kind of mission to intercept large unarmed aircraft, it is not complicated for pilots, so reducing the number of crew members can reduce weight and gain stronger maneuverability. Overall, a lighter twin-engine heavy aircraft can fly longer, with better maneuverability to perform super maneuvers when necessary for interception, indicating that the intensity of Chinese interception is increasing, and Canadian pilots feeling scared is correct.

Rear seat appears to have no pilot

CP-140 anti-submarine patrol aircraft

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7558846693404459535/

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