Beijing: Chinese media have reported that two foreign fighter jets were intercepted and forced out of China’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) J-16 fighter jets during a training exercise.

According to a report by state broadcaster CCTV, the incident occurred last year and the foreign aircraft have not entered the area since.

Chinese military analyst and former PLA colonel Yue Gang claimed that the intercepted aircraft were likely to be the U.S. fifth-generation F-22 stealth fighter jets. Yue Gang said the J-16s successfully “locked on” to the American planes using an integrated combat network comprising satellites, early warning aircraft, and anti-stealth radar.

PLA pilot Li Zhao, from the Western Theater Command, confirmed the incident during a televised interview on October 3. Without naming any country, Li Zhao said the foreign planes had “clearly provocative intentions.”

Describing the tense encounter, Li Zhao said that during a series of aerial maneuvers, he inverted his aircraft and flew over one of the foreign jets at a distance of only 10 to 15 meters.

“After that, I locked on both planes simultaneously, and eventually both foreign aircraft withdrew from the area,” he said.

In military terminology, “locking on” signifies that a target is being tracked and fully targeted for attack.

It is worth noting that the J-16 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter jet, introduced into the Chinese Air Force in 2016, and is not classified as a fifth-generation aircraft.