China intercepts Canadian surveillance mission over East China Sea
CBS News rode aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force CP‑140 Aurora conducting Operation NEON surveillance of suspected North Korean sanction‑evasion shipping in the East China Sea and documented multiple close intercepts by Chinese fighter jets. Canadian officials — including the Aurora’s captain and Brig. Gen. Jeff Davis, who commands the operation — describe Chinese fighters shadowing the aircraft at under 200 feet and a second intercept by a missile‑carrying jet; the mission operates from Kadena Air Base in Japan and shares intelligence with the U.N. Enforcement Coordination Cell.
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📌 Key Facts
- Operation NEON: a Canadian contribution to a multinational effort to track North Korean ships suspected of violating U.N. sanctions.
- Intercepts: CBS observed Chinese supersonic fighters approach and shadow the CP‑140 Aurora at distances reported as 'four wing lengths' (under 200 feet); a later intercept involved a jet described as carrying missiles.
- Location & base: Events occurred over international airspace in the East China Sea; mission staged from Kadena Air Base, Japan (U.S. facility).