Pike says caving to Chinese demands would set a bad legal precedent because the flights are conducted outside the 12-mile limit of China's territorial waters. Even so, the incident may change the way the flights are conducted in the short run. Bolkcom says planes may fly a little farther offshore or with fighter-jet escorts. He also expects the Air Force to speed development of the Global Hawk, an unmanned aerial vehicle that can monitor radio and radar signals. It's not as if China does not conduct similar flights.
Analysts say that China patrols near Taiwan and Vietnam.
The EP-3 in China was based in Okinawa. Planes flying from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean monitor India and Pakistan. Those in the Persian Gulf watch Iraq and Iran. Squadrons based in Spain and Crete listen to electronic transmissions in Libya and Russia. And planes flying from Puerto Rico keep tabs on Central American drug smugglers.