Chinese SU-27 does a Barrel Roll over P-8

2014-08-22T17:20:47-04:00

So not only are the Chinese knowledgeable in the active locations of our aircraft, they are actively flaunting it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/22/us-usa-china-warplane-idUSKBN0GM1YE20140822

This isn't the first time another nation has done this either.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27701195

Are we not doing enough to make sure our aircraft go undetected, or are they figuring our locations out through other means? Should we be adding defensive aircraft with our intellegence gathering missions?

U.S. protests intercept of Navy jet by Chinese warplane

The United States charged on Friday that a Chinese fighter pilot conducted a "dangerous intercept" of a Navy patrol plane in international air space this week, flying a few yards (meters) from the U.S. jet and performing acrobatic maneuvers around it.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 22 at 2014 5:23 PM

2014-08-22T17:23:08-04:00

They must have just got a copy of "Top Gun"

Response by CDR Thomas Gatliffe made Aug 22 at 2014 5:29 PM

2014-08-22T17:29:41-04:00

The P-8 was over 100 miles from the coast, i.e., in everyone's definition of international waters. They are not stealthy aircraft and air search radar can track them at several hundred miles with little difficulty so I don't think the Chinese were trying to show off any special detection capability. This was probably the EP-8 variant used for intelligence collection and the Chinese were probably just trying to intimidate in their own unique way. I believe they shot down an EP-3 a few years ago that was only about 15-20 miles from the coast.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2014 5:30 PM

2014-08-22T17:30:10-04:00

Since the thread was updated/corrected I thought it appropriate to do the same.

Well...it's not hard to figure out where a P-8 is. It has NO coatings, or other methods to deflect or absorb/adsorb radar. A standard navigation radar can find a P-3 or a P-8 on the ocean. Since the P-8 has 4 jet engines (max speed 564 mph)used in searching for submarines - it's a fat, relatively slow target. An SU-27 is a twin-engined jet aircraft - max speed Mach 2+. Math says the rest. Only in the most unusual circumstances will a P-8 evade or escape the SU-27. Doing a barrel-roll over the aircraft...not so impressive. Now, when they take a photo of an SU-27 doing a barrel-roll around an F-14 or an F/A-18...now THAT will be impressive.

Response by CDR Thomas Gatliffe made Aug 23 at 2014 11:11 AM

2014-08-23T11:11:46-04:00

Although RAMD Kirby said that the pass directly across the nose of the P-8 was probably to show off that it was armed, I have a different possible take on that.
Having operated extensively at sea off the Chinese coast, I have experienced many instances of Chinese (both mainland and Taiwanese) water craft attempting to pass directly in front of the ship's bow and as close as possible without actually being struck. Our Taiwanese liaison explained that this relates to a superstition that the "boat people" hold about boats and their crews developing "tails" of evil spirits over time and that another boat or ship passing across its wake will cut off that tail, which then attaches to the end of the second craft's evil spirit tail. Maybe the Chinese pilot was just attempting to transfer his evil spirit tail to the P-8. Sounds reasonable to me.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2014 11:42 AM

2014-08-23T11:42:02-04:00

Obviously attempting Hainan Island version 2.0, tryin to get some of that updated technology on the P-8.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2014 12:55 PM

2014-08-23T12:55:00-04:00

CPO Private RallyPoint Member. Interesting, contrary to popular assumptions from the early days, the modern EP-3 is not totally without defenses. The P-3's have internal and external hard points and pylons that are entirely capable and have been used to carry ECM/ECCM pods and fire multiple Harpoon air-to-ship missiles, Maverick air-to-ground missiles, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. They are also capable of dispensing anti-radar chaff and anti-IR-seeking-missile flares. The P-3's were the first generation of what Boeing Defense Systems Group aggressively markets as their "Single Platform Kill Chain" in response to Pentagon requirements. I am not certain I would want to be a fighter pilot trying to harass one of these supposedly defenseless slow moving easily targeted "sensor" platforms whether or not they are openly displaying any weapons. They might just get pissed off enough to turn around and shoot the harasser out of the sky. Warmest Regards, Sandy

n.b. BDS Group also actively markets P-8A as a similarly capable BDS "Single Platform Kill Chain"

http://www.military.com/video/aircraft/military-aircraft/p-8a-poseidon-nowhere-to-run-nowhere-to-hide/ [login to see] 01/

p.s. I dearly love the image of the young servicewoman in the command pilot position . . . though the comm and avionics panels make me suspect the aircraft is substantially older than the pilot. Still, it is heart warming to see obviously talented young women moving up in the modern world. Does anyone happen to know her??? We love to recruit such obviously talented young women!!!

P-8A Poseidon: Nowhere to Run

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. Capable of broad-area maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A will influence how the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate and deploy. The P-8A Poseidon is a true...

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Aug 23 at 2014 1:44 PM

2014-08-23T13:44:06-04:00

I can envision another repeat of the 2000 incident..... >.<

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Aug 23 at 2014 2:21 PM

2014-08-23T14:21:50-04:00

The Chinese pilot's name was 不规则 which is as close to Mavrick as you can get in Chinese.