TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday morning (June 20), marking the ninth intrusion this month.
A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the PLAAF plane.
Chinese planes have been tracked in Taiwan’s ADIZ so far this month on June 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. Seven of the incidents have involved single, slow-flying turboprop planes, while incursions on June 15 involved 28 aircraft (largest Chinese aerial exercise so far this year) and June 17 included seven PLAAF planes.
Since September last year, Beijing has dialed up its gray zone tactics by frequently sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most instances taking place in the southwest corner of the zone.
An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s air space where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves. Gray zone tactics are defined “as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”
According to MND data, Chinese aircraft were tracked in Taiwan’s identification zone 18 times in May, 22 times in April, 18 times in March, 17 times in February, and 27 times in January. Last year, they were observed 19 times in December, 22 times in November, and 22 times in October.
Flight path of Chinese plane on June 20 (MND image)
