TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) reports that a record 38 Chinese military aircraft had violated Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday (Oct. 1), China's national day.
On its real-time military update website, the MND released two reports of large incursions by People's Liberation Army Aircraft (PLAAF) on Friday. In the first report, the MND stated that 18 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, four SU-30 jets, two Xian H-6 bombers, and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare (Y-8 ASW) plane intruded on the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ.
Flight paths of first wave of PLAAF aircraft. (MND image)
The second report stated that 10 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, two Xian H-6 bombers, and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft entered Taiwan's ADIZ. This time around, the fighters and bombers flew through a much larger swathe of the southwestern section of the ADIZ.
In both cases, the MND said that it scrambled combat patrol aircraft, issued radio warnings to tell the Chinese aircraft to turn back, and deployed air defense missile systems.
Flight paths of second wave of PLAAF aircraft. (MND image)
The previous largest incursion by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ on record occurred on June 15, when a total of 28 military aircraft entered the southern end of the ADIZ, including one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane, four Xian H-6 bombers, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft, two Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, 14 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, and six Shenyang J-11 fighter jets.
Other major recent intrusions this year included 25 on April 12 and 24 on Sept. 23.