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October 29, 2023

Reckless Chinese Intercepts of U.S. Warplanes Continue

Way Too Close For Comfort

As if in response to the Pentagon’s 17 October 2023 release of video evidence depicting a preponderance of reckless and antagonistic Chinese intercepts of U.S. warplanes, a Chinese fighter jet, on 24 October, closed within ten-feet of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber during a nighttime intercept over the South China Sea. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command deemed the Chinese pilot’s actions “unsafe and unprofessional.” The incident marked the latest white-knuckle encounter of Chinese and U.S. combat aircraft in the region.

Slouching Toward Bethlehem

The United States Air Force U.S. has begun training Ukrainian pilots to fly General Dynamics’s F-16 multirole fighter. Controversial in the utmost, the training was heralded by USAF Brigadier General Pat Ryder, who stated on 24 August 2023 that U.S. training of Ukrainian aviators would commence “within two months.” Ryder’s assertion missed the mark by only 24-hours. While Ryder cited no specific numbers, he set forth Ukrainian pilot and maintenance trainees would number “several” and “dozens” respectively. The training is being carried out at Tucson, Arizona’s Morris Air National Guard Base under the auspices of the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing.