TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 22), marking the eighth intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of the 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 spotted in Taiwan’s identification zone so far this month on Aug. 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 22. While all the planes sent into the zone last month were slow-flying Y-8 turboprops, this month has seen a mix of spotter planes and warplanes.

On Aug. 12, three Y-8s of different variants were tracked in Taiwan’s ADIZ along with four Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, while on Aug. 17, two Y-8s and a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane were seen in the zone along with six J-16 fighters and two H-6 bombers.

Since September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner of the zone. Compared to previous months, June and July saw fewer incursions.

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 ADIZ 14 times in July, 10 times in June, 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 Y-8 ASW on Aug. 22. (MND image)