Australia’s Department of Defence has protested an unsafe encounter between a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) helicopter and an Australian Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk over international waters in the Yellow Sea on March 4, 2026. The MH-60R, launched from the Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba, was conducting routine surveillance as part of Operation Argos to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
According to the official Defence statement, the PLAN helicopter matched the ADF aircraft’s altitude, closed to an unsafe distance, accelerated ahead, and rolled toward it, forcing the Australian crew to take evasive action. “This was an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre that posed a risk to our aircraft and its personnel,” the statement said. No injuries or damage occurred, and HMAS Toowoomba operated in full compliance with international law.
China rejected Australia’s claims as a “distortion of facts.” Spokesperson Jiang Bin from the Ministry of National Defense stated that the Australian frigate repeatedly deployed helicopters for close-range reconnaissance near Chinese waters, constituting “continuous provocations” that endangered national security. Beijing argued UN resolutions do not authorize military surveillance in areas under its jurisdiction.
This incident follows a pattern of tense aerial interactions. In October 2024, a Chinese J-10 fighter dropped flares near an Australian MH-60R in the South China Sea. Similar aggressive maneuvers have targeted Canadian aircraft enforcing North Korea sanctions, including a 2022 CP-140 intercept and 2023 passes near a CH-148 Cyclone. Australia has consistently labeled these actions unsafe and unprofessional.