Nerve-wracking! Chinese J-15 Fighter Fly Over US Arleigh Burke-Class Warships, Watch the Video

USS Arleigh Burke Warship in the Mediterranean Sea in March 2003

International Military - A report by China's television station, China Central Television, revealed a scene in which a J-15 fighter jet flies over a US destroyer. It happened during the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

To note, the J-15 fighter jet itself is a fighter aircraft based on the Liaoning aircraft carrier. The fighter jet flew over the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer as quoted by Chinese English-language media, Global Times, Tuesday (27/9/2022).

Quoted from The Drive, the video footage comes after the appearance of photos of 24 J-15 fighter jets on the deck of the same carrier, although the date of the ship is not clear. Interestingly, while it's unclear where the video was taken from a J-15 fighter jet carrying external weapons, at least one of the other two jets spotted in the formation appears to be carrying air-to-air missiles under its wings, although it's not possible to determine if this is a weapon. alive or not.

For combat air patrols, the J-15 fighter jet can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles primarily from China. It is also unclear where the video of the J-15 fighter jet flying over the US Navy destroyer was taken. There is however speculation that the incident took place in the Taiwan Strait which separates Taiwan from mainland China, although that could not be confirmed.

If the footage comes from the Taiwan Strait then it is likely a response to the sort of show of force that US warships have made in the past in the Taiwan Strait, as well as elsewhere in the wider Asia Pacific region. The Taiwan Strait situation itself has recently been the scene of intense military activity by China and the US and its allies.

In particular, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in early August sparked a series of military exercises in the strait that continued throughout the month. The latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins (DDG-76) and the Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver passed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday.

This is only the latest transit in the strait by a US Navy warship and J-15 fighter jets did not pass this warship, which is a Flight II ship, identified by its hangar deck. US Navy warships frequently conduct what are called Freedom of Navigation Patrols, or FONOPs.

This activity usually gets a strong rebuke from the Chinese authorities. It also happened last July when three US ships including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and the USS Benfold transited the Strait within a week.