Overview

• The Australian Defence Department said a Chinese Su‑35 fighter approached an RAAF P‑8A on October 19 and released flares twice at close range over the South China Sea.
• No injuries or aircraft damage were reported, and Australia states the patrol was operating in international airspace.
• Canberra lodged a diplomatic protest, calling the conduct dangerous and unprofessional.
• Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia will continue surveillance consistent with international freedoms of overflight and navigation.
• China’s Southern Theater Command asserted the Australian aircraft illegally entered its airspace and said it tracked and drove it away, and this is the second such flare incident involving an Australian patrol plane this year.