TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese electronic warfare aircraft was detected by plane spotters flying through Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday afternoon (Jan. 5), while two U.S. surveillance aircraft were also reported in the ADIZ the same day.
At 7:58 a.m. on Tuesday, aircraft spotter CANUK78 on Twitter reported that a Boeing P-8A Poseidon with the registration number AE67DF flew just off Taiwan's southernmost tip of Eluanbi, in the southeast corner of Taiwan's ADIZ. The plane, which is equipped for anti-submarine warfare and surveillance, was first spotted flying toward the South China Sea, before later appearing to head back at 1:20 p.m.
At 10:39 a.m., Twitter user Ketagalan stated that a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft with the tail number 30518 was about to enter Taiwan's ADIZ and that Taiwan Air Force F-16s had been dispatched to the area. By 3:35 p.m., Ketagalan spotted another P-8A Poseidon with the registration number AE676BC also flying to the south of Eluanbi.
At 2:26 p.m., aircraft enthusiast Aircraft Spots reported that a Y-8G "Mouse" electronic countermeasure (ECM) aircraft with the same tail number was conducting an ECM mission "near the Taiwan Strait within Taiwan's Southwest ADIZ." The flight path of the plane appeared to show that it had been making repeated circles over Taiwan's southwestern waters.
When asked by Taiwan News to comment on the incident, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated that he did not yet have information on the flights by the foreign aircraft.
#USN
Boeing P-8A Poseidon
Heading towards the #SouthChinaSea #AE67DF pic.twitter.com/6BCl9yoPwf
— CANUK78 (@is_keelu) January 4, 2021
#7A4262 #30518 Y-8 EW 遠干機 即將入侵我國ADIZ
我國F-16已經在西南空域對應 pic.twitter.com/FczsuC7Vms
— Ketagalan (@CCCDSLR) January 5, 2021
PLAAF (Chinese Air Force) Y-8G "Mouse" ECM aircraft, tail number 30518, conducted an ECM mission near the Taiwan Strait within Taiwan's Southwest ADIZ, moments ago. pic.twitter.com/R8VHJfPW8f
— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) January 5, 2021
