000779628 *** DOCUmont 7 of 14 for FBS3 x** DOCN gAB219230 PDTG P ~4~A19Z APR !!tl FM FM F IS RESTON VA TO TO RAYMIK/ASTJIC OBU RAYWBBK/DIO CANBERRA AS RAYWBFA/ONA CANBERRA ACT AS RHDLCNE/CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2// RHEFJWC/JWAC DANLGREN VA RHHJDHA/PACAF IDHS PEARL HARBOR HI RHHJJAA/JICPAC HONOLULU HI RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI RHHJRAP/USARPAC INTEL FT SHAFTER HI//APIN// RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI RUCXONI/ONI WASHINGTON DC//214A// RUCXQAN/MARCORINTACT QUANTICO~VA RUEABND/DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN NQ WASHINGTON DC//POL// RUEAIIS/STORAGE CENTER FBIS RESTON VA RUEFADA/AFIAA AMHS BOLLING AFB DC RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC//INR// RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUENAAMCNO WASHINGTON DC//N23// RUEOAYA/CDRNGIC CHARLDTTESVILL~E VA RUEPMAX/GISA FT BRAGG NC RUEPPOG/CDR PSYOPGP FT BRAGG NC//ASOF-POG-SB// RUEPPOG/CDR4THPSYOPGP FT BRAGG NC//AOCP-POG-SB// RUEPTAC/ISDTACOM WARREN MI RUEPWDC/DA AMHS WASHINGTON DC RUETIAA/NSACSS FT GEORGE G MEA~DE MD RUHBABA/CG III MEF//G-2// RUHBBEA/CG THIRD FSSO CAMP KINSER JA//G2// RUHDFTB/CDRUSAFLDSTA OPS KUNIA HI RUNDKAN/NAVSECGRUACT KUNIA HI RUHDTSN/WARFIGHTER SIGINT SUPPORT KUNIA HI RUHHAEA/NAIC WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH RUHVPAC/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//XPXP// RUQYKEW/AFIWC KELLY AFB TX//OSKC// RUWSMXI/AMC INTEL CEN SCOTT AFB IL//INO// RUWSMXI/USCINCTRANS INTEL CEN SCOTT AFB IL//J2-0/J2-J// RUYLBAH/DODSPECREP OKINAWA JA RUYLKAD/390IS OKINAWA JA//DOT// ACCT FBWA-EWDK BT CLAS UNCLAS WARN WARNING: TOPIC+ INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, MILITARY, URGENT SERI SERIAL: CPP21dg11d4fT3Agi1B83 PASS PASS: ATTN WIRE SELECT COON COUNTRY+ CHINA, TAIWAN, UNITED STATES SUBJ SUBJ+ TAKE 1 OF 2--Taiwan Reports on Collision of US Plane, PRC Jet SOUR 50URCE: Taipei Chung-Kuo Shlh-Pao In Chinese g3 Apr B1 p 11 TEXT TEXTe [*S ecTal topTc? report] [FB~S Translated Text] The coilTslon of a ?Chinese? jet and a US plane over the sea near Hainan Island has treated a tra edyy with one craft damaged and one lost, and is a most serious a~faTr in farms of relations between the two nations. Judging from materials coming from various sources, this collision was a pure accident, and there is no possibility of intent. The idea of one side playing with fire Ts evenimore remote, and the most likely explanation is that the whole thing is an accident caused by a t~chnologTcal mistake caused by insufficiency to the tacit mutual understandings between the two~sTdes. In the future, the key point which may impact relation between China and the US is not the collision itself, but rater the timeframe and mariner in which the Chinese hand over the plane and crew. Anyone who has some concept of what aviation Ts will know that when an airplane Ts flying at high speeds and hits a bird, the results are unimaginable. How much more so must tt be then when an American EP-3 recotmaissance plane flying at 7t1l1 mph and a PRC AP'ROYED FOR RELEASE. DATElULY1/Y 000779628 Jian-8 flying at l,ABA plus mph. Such a collision Ts truly awesome.. Some anatyseS say that the PRC fighter intentionally struck the American craft, thinking to force the US plane to land on Chinese soil. Some people also say that'the American plane made a sudden turn toward the Jlan-8 as though Tt were a bicycle moving forward of Its own volition. It t5 difficult to grasp the distances at which fighter planes pass at high speeds, where a tiny slip can mean a crash and death to the crew. No one gains an advantage from this. And this 1s not wartime, and there is no reason to make a sacrifice of oneself. Consequently, there Ts no case for an intentional crash. The most probable situation is that the Jian-8 was harassing9 the EP-3 from below, and as a result Tts altitude dropped. The EP-3' dipped itS nose suddenly. and the Jtan-8 immediately darted away, but hit the other plane throe clumsy emergency moves. In the flash of an a e, it lost its ~ilance and plummeted into the sea. The EP-3 was leaking a large g?antTty of oil at this time and was forted to seek aid at the nearest air base. In reality, US military recomra.issance planes have been fl tng over the sea on a Itne from X1#ha to Hainan, following the border of PRC airspace for more than a decade. The PRC fighter was doing what they normally did, doing necessary survetliance and interception and even driving the plane away, all in accordance with the customary practices of fnternattonal accords. A little confrontation -- you chase me end I tall yyou -- had never caused an accident in the past. Looking at the incident from the viewpoint of PRC fighter interception procedures and the demands of coordination with war technology on the g9round, no reason exists for intentionally taunting the AmefTcan plane. The Jian-8 fighter plane is the PRC 's new domestically produced, high-speed, all-weather fT~hter plane. It is principally used in defending air rights on the front line of battle, and can also carry out air-to-ground attacks. In 1992, the PRC navy and air forte organized a Jian-8 squad, patrolling for the first time at XTsha, and over the subsequent eight years of exercises and training this squad has become,a set fighter squadron, and is said to be the PRC 's male fighter pplane to terms of air and sea power. The pilots on patrol on the Il~ne between Xtsha and Hainan Island are mostly old hands who are capable of flying to any weather. No one would anticipate any problem occurring. In terms of the interception procedure, when PRC radar *dtscoverS an unidentified flyt'ngg ob ect nearing PRC airspace, the naval air forces dispatch two Jtan-~s to intercept, with tower p~ersomtel Tn charge of directing. Everything is done by the book. When the alien plane is sighted, the Jian-8 lead plane on duty g~~~s the order to the wingman to reduce altitude, and to first get Into the best position for suryetllance Photographs under the foreiggn plane to interfere with it. The lead plane then flies parallel and close to the foreign plane, following tactics from the ground coordinator, and maintains close formation with the foreign plane. Under the stipulations of the accords of international law, if a plane T5 flying over the open sea, both sides must maintain an on-alert space of 3gH by 31dg meters above and below and on both sides. The PRC fighter planes also operate under these regulations. But the problem is that if a foreign plane still wants to get closer to PRC airspace, then the Jian-8 procedure Ts to follow commands from the ground to sidde horizontally past the foreign plane from above. This Ts the way two fighter planes ?warn? each other without overdoing tt. Then t at Jian-8 returns to its two-plane formation and continues to watch the foreiggn plane. Under normal conditions, when the foreign plane sees the Jfan-8 fighter's maneuver, it persists for a mognen or two more and then withdraws. This is a tacit agreement between the two. Hut why did a pproblem occur with this routine maneuver? Some analyses say that it is possible that the Chinese crew were having technical problems. Others say that the ?Chinese?-US relationship has worsened of late, and that-the PRC pilots had something of an emotional response and piloted the craft in an inappropriate way. In actuality. this is not very likely because PRC pilots are not only old, seasoned hands, but every move they make including their approach angle and their airspeed and altitude are all controlled by gground commands; the pilots might feel emotional, but that wourdn't be reflected in their flying. Moreover, the most common STORE) 000779628 p fp NNNN NNNN~ PPER C4A7) SERIAL NOT FOUND OR INCORRECTLY FORMATTED. ELST 4g7 - NONCRITICAL CPPER.L)~ SERIAL NOT FOUND OR INCORRECTLY FORMATTED. EFLO NONCRITICALERROR ===EOD===