TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two Chinese anti-submarine aircraft violated Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday (Sept. 21), marking the fourth incursion by People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft since Sept. 17.
On Monday evening, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that two Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft had entered the ADIZ off the southwest coast of Taiwan earlier that day. In addition to scrambling fighter jets to drive the planes away, the Air Force also broadcast radio warnings and tracked the aircraft with its land-based anti-aircraft missiles.
Compared with previous announcements, the photos released by the MND on Monday showed the Chinese aircraft to be quite far away, possibly indicating that Taiwan's fighter planes exercised a certain amount of caution in maintaining distance from the PLAAF plane.
MND photo taken on Sept. 21.
According to information from the ministry, PLAAF Y-8 aircraft flew two sorties into the southwestern corner of Taiwan's ADIZ on Sept. 17. On Sept. 18th, 18 Chinese warplanes intruded on Taiwan's ADIZ, with 12 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
On Sept. 19th, 19 PLAAF aircraft penetrated Taiwan's ADIZ from the southwest and northwest.
Closeup of Y-8 flying in Taiwan's ADIZ on Sept. 21. (MND photo)
