A Chinese fighter jet buzzed an Air Force surveillance plane final week in what officers mentioned was an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” over the South China Sea.

On Friday, the pilot of a Chinese J-16 “Flanker” fighter jet flew immediately in entrance of the nostril of a USAF RC-135 “Rivet Joint” reconnaissance airplane, forcing the U.S. plane to fly via its wake turbulence.

“The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” officers with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command mentioned Tuesday.

The incident was the most recent in a string of harmful encounters between the Chinese navy and the U.S. within the hotly-contested Indo-Pacific area. On Dec. 21, a Chinese Navy J-11 “Flanker-L” fighter performed the same maneuver towards an RC-135 airplane.

The fighter “flew an unsafe maneuver by flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the RC-135 forcing (the pilot) to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision,” U.S. officers mentioned.

The U.S. mentioned it's going to proceed to fly, sail and function whereever worldwide legislation permits.

SEE ALSO: Unprofessional intercept of U.S. plane over South China Sea

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” Indo-Pacific Command mentioned Tuesday.

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