Chinese Fighter In Unsafe Encounter With US Spy Plane

Following internet speculation the Pentagon has confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved in an 'unsafe encounter' with a pair of Chinese fighter jets.

The U.S. Air Force Rivet Joint reconnaissance jet was intercepted by People's Liberation Army Navy Xian JH-7 fighter-bombers some 80 miles off the Chinese coast.

It's the second such dangerous manoeuvre involving aircraft from the two nations - the first being in November last year when a Shenyang J-11B interceptor flew extremely close to a US Navy maritime patrol aircraft. In that instance the incident occurred in international airspace over the South China Sea.

This latest encounter allegedly saw a JH-7 pass in front of the Rivet Joint's nose although the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook stressed that it wasn't a near collision.

The Royal Air Force currently have two Rivet Joint's in operation, although the RAF have chosen to call the intelligence-gathering aircraft the Airseeker instead.

The first of the aircraft, delivered in 2014 is currently involved in the air campaign against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.