The tension in the Indo-Pacific has taken a dramatic turn as the USAF spy/recon plane sneaked and loitered around the Yellow Sea, monitoring the PLA. Chinese official deplores the faking of its IFF (identification friend or foe) as Philippine Plane, which the Chinese were able to discern.
According to reports an RC-135 operated by the USAF intentionally masked its aircraft identification code when it entered the ADIZ (air defense identification zone) last Tuesday. The RC-135 shifted its code to ping back a Philippine aircraft said Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), reported SCMP.
One agency that monitors what aircraft is about is the Aircraft Spots that noted the same observation on Twitter. As the Chinese reported when the military plane pinged back a civilian craft hex code. It occurred exactly over the Yellow Sea in between the Chinese coast and the Korean peninsula.
The International Civil Aviation Organization gives distinct hex codes to all aircraft that are needed to ascertain to know who the plane is when entering airspace over countries.
Allegedly the SCSPI said the plane was tracked over the Yellow Sea by the Chinese military transmitting another hex code. When it left the monitored airspace as the mission was done, the code reverted to its own.
A week ago, the SCSPI mentioned the American spy planes did the same thing by masking their actual code as Malaysian civilian aircraft straddling Chinese airspace. Several publications have reported the monitoring activities of the US.
Tensions between the two countries have brought about more activities like this. Similar is the espionage that the Chinese engage in. Sources say that the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that the U.S. Military did use the same method about 100 times in 2020.
Some sectors are suggesting, especially analysts, that American surveillance and recon of China is incendiary enough to cause worse tensions. Beijing has been needled by American activities in the Indo-Pacific and other areas.
Despite Chinese complaints, Kenneth Wilsbach, head of the USAF's Pacific Air Forces, simply said they were just following international rules about transponder use, adding that the USAF was following rules on international airspace on that day.
A response by Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based military commentator, mentioned that a U.S. recon mission is looking for targets like PLA communications and radar as intel for a guided weapons attack. China fears having the Americans pinpoint their sensitive targets.
Citing examples like if an American spy plane is close by, then any drills and activities will be shut down. If it is a civilian craft, they could capture intel and go about undetected, but the PLA will be laid bare.
Stressing the danger of U.S. activities will endanger civilian aircraft and lives. One accident is the destruction of Korean Airlines KLA007 passenger flight in Russian airspace. It was shot down with all passengers' dead, all because it was suspect American spy aircraft.
Ei Sun Oh, a principal adviser at Malaysia's Pacific Research Centre, stated that civilian flights are not plentiful for fears of COVID-19. The U.S. is sending its RC-135s on spy mission are running a risk of getting shot down, but nothing so far.
Most experts agree that in peace-time China will not shoot down any plane with proper cause. This makes the PLA edgy, especially with increased recon activity of China. They know if it is a civilian or USAF spy/recon plane.
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