PCA Important Dates

2001

April - A Chinese air force plane collides in mid-air with an EP-3 Aries U.S. surveillance plane near the southern

Chinese island of Hainan, leading the Chinese plane to crash into the sea and forcing the U.S. aircraft to land on

Hainan. An 11-day standoff over China’s holding of the plane and 24 crew members raises tensions with the new

administration of President George W. Bush.

2005

August - China and Russia hold their first joint military exercises. The exercise consisted of combined land, sea,

and air elements simulating an intervention in a state besieged by terrorists or political turmoil. The force practiced

air and naval blockades, an amphibious assault, and occupying a region.

2007

January - Reports say China has carried out a missile test in space, shooting down

2012

May - Philippines and Chinese naval vessels confront one another off the Scarborough Shoal reef in the South China

Sea. Both countries claim the reef, which may have significant reserves of oil and gas.

2012

September - China launches its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning - a converted former Soviet Kuznetsov-class

aircraft vessel.

2015

China expresses anger at US naval ship sailing by artificial reefs Beijing is building among disputed

Spratly Islands in South China Sea.

2017

A first-generation Chinese aircraft carrier was launched on 26 April 2017 for the People's Liberation Army Navy

(PLAN). It is the country's second aircraft carrier after the completion of Liaoning, and the first built domestically.

2018

48 ships, dozens of fighter jets, and more than 10,000 military personnel deploy to South China Sea in largest ever

PLAN flotilla to date.

2025

In May 2025, likely in an effort to exert pressure and reinforce their regional dominance, China deployed fleets

larger than usual throughout the First Island Chain. At times more than 70 ships were deployed at once including

guided-missile frigates, destroyers and coast guard boats as well as two aircraft carrier groups to areas such as the

South China Sea, off the coast of Taiwan, the East China Sea and near Japan.

2016

A pair of Russian Su-24 fighter jets performed several low-altitude passes on the USS DONALD

COOK Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer while the ship was conducting exercises with a Polish

helicopter in international waters in the Baltic Sea 70 nautical miles (130 km; 81 mi) off Kaliningrad.

2017

– Multiple Russian SU-24 “Fencer” fighter jets and an Il-38 sub-hunting quad-engine aircraft buzzed

the U.S. Navy destroyer USS PORTER (DDG 78) in the Black Sea.

2018

– A Russian Sukhoi SU-27 “Flanker” fighter jet came within five feet of an EP-3 Aries before

crossing through the U.S. aircraft’s flight path, forcing the EP-3 to fly through the SU-27’s flight wash.

2018

A Russian fighter jet flies dangerously close to a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane on Monday

over the Black Sea. A Navy EP-3E Aries II reconnaissance aircraft was flying in international airspace when it was

intercepted by a Russian Su-27 fighter in an interaction that lasted about 25 minutes.

2019

– A Russian Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jet harassed a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol plane over the

Mediterranean Sea.

2019

On 7 June 2019 the USS CHANCELLORSVILLE (CG 62) came close to a collision with the Russian

destroyer Admiral Vinogradov. United States Seventh Fleet stated the Russian destroyer came within 50 to 100 feet

of USS CHANCELLORSVILLE and did not adhere to proper “rules of the road".

2021

Russia claimed it used one of its destroyers to prevent the USS CHAFEE

(DDG 90) from what it described as an “attempt to intrude into Russia’s territorial waters in the Sea of Japan.” U.S.

INDOPACOM called the Russian statement false and said the ships’ interaction was “safe and professional.”

2025

Navy fighter jets intercepted an Il-38 Russian spy plane flying near the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)

aircraft carrier as seen in the photo below:

1968

North Korea captures the USS Pueblo, an unarmed U.S. Navy intelligence vessel, in international

waters. North Koreans held the 83-man crew hostage for 11 torturous months and maintains possession of the ship

to this day.

1969

North Korean Mig-21 fighters shoot down a U.S. Navy EC-121 reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of

Japan as it flew a regular surveillance mission in international airspace. All 31 sailors perished.

2006

North Korea test fires seven missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which crashes shortly

after take-off despite it reportedly having the capability to hit the US.

2006

North Korea conducts its first nuclear weapons test at an underground facility. The UN imposes

economic and commercial sanctions on North Korea.

2009

North Korea launches a long-range rocket, carrying what it says is a communications satellite; its

neighbors accuse it of testing long-range missile technology. Condemnation from the UN Security Council prompts

North Korea to walk out of six-party talks and restart its nuclear facilities.

2009

- North Korea carries out its second underground nuclear test. UN Security Council condemns the test.

2012

North Korea claims it has missiles than can hit the U.S. mainland after South Korea and Washington

announce a deal to extend the range of South Korea's ballistic missiles.

2013

- UN approves fresh sanctions after North Korea stages its third nuclear test, said to be more

powerful than the 2009 test.

2014

North Korea test-fires two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles for the first time since 2009, in

violation of UN resolutions.

2017

Pyongyang test fires a long-range missile into the Sea of Japan, with some experts stating the missile

could potentially reach Alaska.

2022

– A total of 69 launches of 13 different types of missiles were executed in 2022, surpassing a previous high of

26 total launches in 2019.

2023

– North Korea launched four ICBMs (which have the longest range and pose the greatest threat)

2024

North Korea launched an ICBM. The test was assessed as a Hwasong-19 solid-propellant ICBM with

multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capability.

2025

North Korea attempted to launch a new destroyer but failed and caused major damage to the new warship.

According to CSIS:

2009

- Iran admits that it is building a uranium enrichment plant near Qom, but insists it is for peaceful

purposes. The country test-fires a series of medium- and longer-range missiles that put Israel and US bases in the

Gulf within potential striking range.

2011 - Now

The Strait of Hormuz dispute is an ongoing dispute between a coalition of countries

and Iran. The dispute arose on 27 December 2011, when Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi

threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. In late April 2019 Iran said that it will block any shipping if it was barred

from using the strategic waterway and in face of US sanctions. Subsequently, a number of naval drills and missile

tests were carried out by Iran. A coalition of countries responded by sending a flotilla of warships to deter any

Iranian attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz and warned Iran publicly and through letters not to close the Strait.

2015

After years of negotiations, world powers reach deal with Iran (the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of

Action (JCPOA)) on limiting Iranian nuclear activity in return for lifting of international economic sanctions. In

2018, the U.S. withdraws from the deal.

2016

Two United States Navy riverine command boats cruising from Kuwait to Bahrain with a combined

crew of nine men and one woman on board strayed into Iranian territorial waters which extend three nautical miles

around Farsi Island in Persian Gulf. Patrol craft of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy seized

the craft and detained the crew at a military base on Farsi Island for 15 hours.

2019

– Iran’s air defenses shot down an U.S. RQ-4A Global Hawk BAMS-D operating in international

airspace. The BAMS-D is the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance – Demonstrator, the predecessor of the Navy’s

MQ-4C Triton. A nearby P-8A Poseidon, within range of the missile systems, recorded the incident.

2020

U.S. military armed drone strike killed IRGC-QF Commander Major General Qasem Soleimani.

Iran retaliates with “Operation Martyr Soleimani” with a ballistic missile strike on two Iraqi bases – Ayn al-Asad

and an airbase near Irbil. The U.S. reported no “casualties;” however, “about 110 U.S. military personnel were

diagnosed with various forms of traumatic brain injury, mostly concussions from the blast.”

2023

– IRGCN interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner with a U.S. helicopter conducting

routine operations in the international airspace in the Arabian Gulf. IRGCN vessels shone a laser multiple times at

the aircraft while in flight.

2024

Iranian backed militant group launched a drone attack in Jordan that resulted in three U.S. service

members’ deaths. In response, the U.S. launched air strikes on 85 Iran-backed militia sites across Syria and Iraq.

2024

– Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles into Israel in response to several Israeli strikes within Syria

2024

Iran launches over 180 missiles into Israel and later that month Israel responded with airstrikes

against multiple Iranian military targets.

2025

Iran’s defense ministry unveiled country’s latest solid-fueled ballistic missile, the “Qassem Basir,”

which is reported to have a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.

2025

– Israel stikes Iran nuclear sites and military positions as well as senior leadership. Iran responds with

missile strikes of their own on positions in Israel. The U.S. executes Operation Midnight Hammer and destroys 3

Iranian nuclear sites effectively ending Iran’s nuclear program.