Communication Interference by Military Warships in the Pacific Region
 

https://ifalpa.org/media/3893/23sab0...fic-region.pdf

Why would you not respond to the Warship?
Used to happen all the time in the Persian Gulf especially around US carrier groups. Sometimes you would fly directly overhead without them saying a word, sometimes they would ask you to change course due to their flight operations.
Never a problem. Never any interference with Rad alts or GPS.
I speak of helicopter operations 10,000 ft and below.
I did have a USN aircraft get a little too close once…I called the carrier and an officer came on line directly he was most apologetic and said the would have a talk with “Ace” upon landing…I opined he report for an eye exam with focus upon depth perception …he was close enough that I could give his serial number, sq markings and remark upon the cleanliness of the aircraft.
From the guy’s accent I guessed correctly he was from Wisconsin so I signed off with “Go Packers”which got a laugh.
Those carrier groups sure moved fast…+ 25 Knots most of the time. They showed up on radar really well.

Seems a bit daft to me - if not downright stupid / dangerous - not to respond to a warship. What are IFALPA up to? Why? Next they'll be suggesting you ignore a fighter intercept or a traffic cop. They should at the very least explain their reasoning. Or am I just "an innocent" of the world at large?

Are you sure it's a warship? What if this is someone just trying to play with the airspace? Let ATC sort is.

could be the Chinese playing silly buggers trying to make aircraft do things in airspace that it considers belongs to them.

It feels like Ifalpa are saying that without saying it.

ATC will have a hot line to the PLA navy and can warn them if you tell ATC what is going on. Otherwise anybody can take over the air waves and threaten flights to move. If you listen to the assertive tone the Poseidons get talked to in international airspace this might already happen to commercial flights.

That was my take when I read the IFALPA document.

Our mob was instructed by recent bulletin to "not respond" to the warships

What if they are conducting high seas firing or there's air-to-air missile tests ongoing? We all know how useless the NOTAM system is in various aspects. I'm aware if an incident a few years ago where a surface vessel called ATC up to inform them they were about to commence high seas firing but the NOTAM had never made it to publication and no Danger Area etc had been allocated. Thankfully the firing never commenced once this was made apparent to the warship.

Was any amplifying information offered as to why not?

I think there’d be more buy in if the reasoning behind it was known. I can offer opinion as can many of you, but it would be just that, opinion.

Very short and clear bulletin. I don't think it is the correct instruction. I am of the opinion to avoid any possible confusion better to simply broadcast our flight number and status on an IFR clearance in CPDLC contact with the relevant FIR. The PLA navy has no authority to issue vectors. Anybody could probably see exactly who we would be by even simply looking at FlightAware anyway and if they were to launch a missile there is nothing we could do about it. At least other flights on 121.5 would be sure to hear our last transmission.

The Bulletin mentions In recent years China has been creating Artificial Islands in the South China Sea, in areas where there are Reefs, which facilitates the process of creating an Island.

In areas which are understood to be International Waters, there is now an Artificial Island which China claims to be China National Territory, with a swarm of military ships stationed around it, and China is aggressively warning any vessels from approching the area, or any aircraft from overflying the area.

These demands go well into the territorial waters of numerous countries, just north of the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. They not only do this for civil aircraft, they also redirect civil shipping in established shipping lanes.

Hear this on the radio going on around Taiwan, Korea and Japan as well.

It is bullying, Indonesia sent out 4xF16s and some Naval ships, then the Chinese government came back to the negotiating table, claiming historical fishing rights within the Indonesian EEC. Chinese Navy blatantly undertook seafloor mapping in Indonesian waters, this was done with submersible drones and ships. They were repeatedly were warned off by Indonesia, they persisted. As a result of this mapping, they send subs through Indonesian waters without permission.

The purpose is to establish control thus create evidence for territorial claims, the encounters seen by the shipping traffic are Chinese “Coast Guard” passing themselves off as PLA Navy. The place themself stationary within the shipping lane in way of the established path to make ships alter course.

It is downright dangerous, they raped and pillaged the reefs, totally destroyed some to crush up to make artificial island. They use cyanide fishing techniques, and prevent countries in the area from conducting legitimate resource gathering within their own EEC.

The Philippines already took the B/S “9 Dashed Line” case to The Hague, and won, China ignores the ruling and demands to control the air, land, and sea through intimidation.

Personally I see these activities as unlawful interference of internationally agreed practices.

Ten years ago, when I was working in Saigon, we had Chinese Coast Guard ships deliberately passing astern of our seismic vessel, which was operating in Vietnamese territorial waters. They were trying to cut the 6 km long hydrophone streamers behind our vessel. What the Chinese crew probably didn't know was the streamers had hydroplane-equipped "birds" on them, which could be used to "dive" the streamers and keep them intact.

Maybe we civil pilots need also some sort of psycho help :)

https://www.ruetir.com/2023/03/australian-pilot-offered-psychological-help-after-intercepting-chinese-fighter-jet/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-06/raaf-crews-offered-counselling-after-tense-encounters-with-china/102056560

Not sure if you are being facetious but one of the recent encounters included a Chinese J-16 fighter drawing alongside an RAAF P-8 and releasing flares, before cutting in front, "parking the bus" and emptying its stores of chaff. What wasn't widely reported were the evasive maneuvers required by the Orion Poseidon to avoid collision.

It wasn't just an act of intimidation, it was extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation ..... and I'm sure it won't be the last

Extremely hazardous. China claimed a US Navy Orion variant "rammed" their Jet interceptor in the 2001 Hainan island incident. One of their pilots was never found.