More US missions in South China Sea a factor in F-35C fighter crash: Chinese researcher
- Think tank researcher says Biden administration efforts against its major competitor force military ‘to endure far more intense missions than ever before’
- Assessment comes as US Navy tries to retrieve aircraft that plunged off an aircraft carrier after a ‘landing mishap’
Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the United States had ramped up its military activities in the South China Sea in the past year to make “potential enemies clearly aware that the costs and risks of aggression are not commensurate with any conceivable benefits”.
“It is also the frequent military activities that have forced US frontline personnel to endure far more intense missions than ever before,” Chen said.
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US submarine strikes unknown underwater object in disputed South China Sea
Chen said the Pentagon had earlier said there were 871 software and hardware deficiencies on the F-35 jet – the world’s most advanced plane – but the US still deployed it to the region to “expand its combat advantage … to reinforce strategic deep-strike capability reserves against China in the Indo-Pacific region”.
