On October 20, 2025, the Australian Department of Defense stated that a Chinese military aircraft threw illumination flares near an Australian maritime patrol aircraft, expressing concern to Beijing and labeling the Chinese behavior as “unsafe and unprofessional”.
According to the Australian Department of Defense’s statement, the Australian maritime patrol aircraft was conducting surveillance missions in the South China Sea when a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet launched illumination flares, posing a risk to the aircraft and its crew.
“This is an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver,” the statement added. “Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a safe and professional manner.”
The Chinese military, in response, accused the Australian P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft of “disturbing” its airspace around the Xisha Islands and claimed to have deployed sea and air forces to conduct “monitoring and expulsion”.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, in an interview with Sky News Australia, stated that the Chinese military aircraft had fired illumination flares twice.
He said, “It is because of the close proximity of the illumination flare releases that we have reason to view this action as unsafe and unprofessional.”
The Australian Department of Defense’s statement noted that there were no reports of casualties during the encounter between the Chinese military aircraft and the Australian Air Force aircraft, and the P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft was not damaged.
Marles emphasized that due to the poor maneuverability of the P-8A aircraft, “while there was no damage, it was dangerous, and the outcome could have been different.”
As part of a broader strategic response to the dangerous behavior of the Chinese military, this is not the first time Australia has criticized similar actions by China. In February, Australia accused a Chinese military aircraft of launching illumination flares within 30 meters (100 feet) of an Australian maritime patrol aircraft.
Reports from the Indian Times and others indicated that the incident on Monday occurred as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was travelling to the United States to meet with President Donald Trump, where they were expected to discuss the AUKUS submarine agreement, highlighting the complexity of the tense situation in the Indo-Pacific region.