TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An aircraft that flew just 30 meters above the water into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) was likely a Chinese attack helicopter, media speculated Wednesday (Feb. 16).

The Liberty Times reported that two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft entered the southwest sector of the ADIZ on Wednesday morning. However, the Ministry of National Defense has not published anything about the incursion as of noon.

At 7:54 a.m., an aircraft appeared at an altitude of 2,500 m, but a second one, reported at 9:14 a.m., was flying only 30 m high. The unusually low altitude fueled speculation that the latter aircraft had been a helicopter, possibly an attack or a cargo helicopter. Last October, a Chinese WZ-10 attack helicopter appeared inside Taiwan’s ADIZ for the first time.

As usual on such occasions, Taiwan’s Air Force tasked aircraft, issued radio warnings telling the PLAAF pilots to turn back, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the Chinese aircraft.

Since the start of 2022, the Ministry of National Defense has reported a total of 173 Chinese military planes entering the ADIZ on 32 different days, according to the Liberty Times report.