TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 13 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 8) and 6 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 9).
Of the 13 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, five entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Two Sukhoi Su-30 combat jets and two Chengdu J-10 jet fighters crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast corner of the ADIZ, while one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter was monitored in the southeast sector of the zone.
In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 121 military aircraft and 52 naval ships around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.
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.”
Flight paths of five out of 13 PLA aircraft. (MND image)
