Chinese jets intercept Canadian air force plane tracking North Korean ships

Updated on: October 6, 2025 / 2:22 PM EDT / CBS News

In the East China Sea, a Canadian military aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, is conducting a mission named Operation NEON. This operation aims to track North Korean vessels involved in illicit trade that breaches United Nations sanctions. The captain leading the mission, whose name is withheld due to active duty status, mentions observing suspicious boats during the operation.

Operation NEON is part of Canada's contribution to a multinational effort supporting U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea. The mission involves intelligence gathering, including photographing, videotaping, and logging suspicious vessels in the East China Sea. The information collected is shared with the United Nations' Enforcement Coordination Cell.

Based at Kadena Air Base in Japan, the largest U.S. Air Force base in the Asia-Pacific region, Operation NEON operates in international airspace over international waters, often near Chinese territory. During the mission, a Chinese supersonic fighter jet intercepts the Canadian aircraft, prompting a calm response from the Aurora's captain asserting the plane's lawful activities.

Despite Chinese intercepts, the Canadian mission continues with professionalism and safety as emphasized by Brigadier General Jeff Davis, who leads the Canadian operation. Chinese fighter jets have closely shadowed the Aurora, with one jet flying within 200 feet of the Canadian aircraft during a subsequent intercept.

China has been a significant economic supporter of North Korea, despite international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang since 2006. The sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear development have not yielded the desired results. Both China and Russia have played roles in supporting North Korea economically, with Russia providing oil in exchange for military support.

North Korea, under the Kim dynasty, has pursued nuclear capabilities, currently possessing an estimated 50 nuclear weapons and nearing the development of a long-range missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Efforts to denuclearize North Korea, including summits between Kim Jong Un and President Trump, have not led to tangible outcomes.

The Chinese intercepts during the enforcement mission in the East China Sea pose additional risks for the Canadian crew, acknowledged by the pilot as potentially adding stress. Despite challenges, the Aurora successfully completes its nine-hour intelligence-gathering mission and returns to base.

Anna Coren, an Emmy Award-winning international correspondent based in Hong Kong, covers the Asia-Pacific region for CBS News.

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