US KC-46 tanker and Chinese drone briefly face off in airspace southwest of Taiwan
In short
A US KC-46 aerial refuelling aircraft and a Chinese drone briefly met nearly head-on in airspace southwest of Taiwan at about 11:50 local time on 20 October, Taiwan's Liberty Times reported, as relayed by South Korean outlets. The US crew stressed by radio its right to fly in international airspace, Taiwan's air force broadcast in Chinese and English, and the drone turned away, with no collision.
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A US KC-46 aerial refuelling aircraft and a Chinese drone briefly met in airspace southwest of Taiwan, Taiwan's Liberty Times reported, according to South Korean outlets Yonhap, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. Yonhap said the Liberty Times reported on 22 October. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo gave the date as the 12th. All three said the encounter took place at about 11:50 local time on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo said the Chinese drone suddenly appeared in airspace southwest of Taiwan's air defence identification zone, south of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point. Yonhap said it came from the west while the KC-46 was flying east to west at a similar altitude. According to live flight paths and video cited by the other two outlets, the tanker was at 25,100 feet (about 7,650 m) and the drone approached west to east at 26,500 feet. The two aircraft nearly faced each other head-on. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The US aircraft responded by radio, stressing its right to fly in international airspace. Taiwan's air force then made broadcasts in Chinese and English. The drone changed course and continued toward waters southeast of Taiwan, and no collision occurred. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo added that the Chinese military aircraft was strongly warned by radio, and that, per the Liberty Times, Taiwan's air force drove away the drone and related military aircraft that had entered its air defence identification zone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The military-focused channel TAIWAN ADIZ said fighter formations often accompany tankers when they are sighted, providing tactical support. It said the drone could have been surrounded by US military aircraft. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo described the encounter as unusual and the approach of a Chinese drone to US military aircraft as rare, and quoted TAIWAN ADIZ as saying no further clash occurred. The documents carry no statement from US, Chinese or Taiwanese officials. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents give no official US, Chinese or Taiwanese statement on the encounter. The reports describe a brief standoff that ended without a collision, and all of them rely on the Liberty Times account.
Key facts
- A US KC-46 aerial refuelling aircraft and a Chinese drone briefly faced each other in airspace southwest of Taiwan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The encounter took place at about 11:50 local time on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo, citing live flight paths and video, said the tanker flew east to west at 25,100 feet (about 7,650 m) and the drone approached west to east at 26,500 feet. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The US aircraft stressed by radio its right to fly in international airspace. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Taiwan's air force made broadcasts in Chinese and English, after which the drone changed course toward waters southeast of Taiwan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- No collision occurred. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A US KC-46 tanker and a Chinese drone came nearly head-on in airspace southwest of Taiwan at about 11:50 local time on 20 October, according to the Liberty Times report as relayed by three outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The US aircraft stressed by radio its right to fly in international airspace, and Taiwan's air force broadcast in Chinese and English. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The drone then turned and continued toward waters southeast of Taiwan, and no collision occurred. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the account is accurate beyond the Liberty Times report. All three documents rely on the Liberty Times; none carries a statement from US, Chinese or Taiwanese officials.
- Whether fighter jets were accompanying the tanker. The military-focused channel TAIWAN ADIZ said fighter formations often accompany tankers and that the drone could have been surrounded; this is its general comment, not a reported fact about this incident.
- The date of the Liberty Times report. Yonhap says the Liberty Times reported on 22 October, while Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo say the 12th.
- The exact location of the encounter. Yonhap says southwest of Taiwan; Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo say south of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, within the southwest of Taiwan's air defence identification zone.