US-China tensions: USAF spy plane disguises itself as a Philippine aircraft over Yellow Sea, monitor says

RC-135S aircraft switched its identification code during a reconnaissance mission, South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative says

US Air Force has used a similar trick more than 100 times already this year, Chinese foreign ministry says

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A US Air Force RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft used a hex code allocated to a Philippine aircraft as it flew over the Yellow Sea, according to a monitoring group. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:59pm, 24 Sep 2020Updated: 11:14pm, 24 Sep 2020

A US Air Force (USAF) plane changed its aircraft identification code as it flew over the Yellow Sea on Tuesday – making it appear like a Philippine aircraft, according to the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI).

Aircraft movement monitoring agency Aircraft Spots made a similar observation on Twitter, saying the plane responded with a different hex code when over the Yellow Sea between the Chinese coast and the Korean peninsula.

Hex codes are assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to all aircraft as a means of identifying them.

When it was over the Yellow Sea, the RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft used a hex code allocated to a Philippine aircraft, but reverted back to its original number after completing its mission, the SCSPI said.

Last week the SCSPI said American RC-135s electronically disguised themselves as Malaysian civilian aircraft while flying close to Chinese airspace. The switch was also reported by Popular Mechanics magazine and several independent observers.

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