TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday (May 8), marking the sixth day of intrusions this month.
A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopter appeared in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). Meanwhile, a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest and southeast corners of the zone.
In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the aircraft.
An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that Chinese naval and air force assets carried out drills from Friday to Sunday to the southwest and east of Taiwan, according to Reuters. The exercises were to “further test and improve the joint combat capability of multiple services and arms.”
So far this month, China has sent 35 military aircraft into Taiwan’s identification zone, including 14 fighter jets, 13 spotter planes, six bombers, and two helicopters.
Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into the ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner. In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days, according to the MND.
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.”
Chinese Y-8 ASW plane. (MND photo)
Flight paths of Chinese aircraft on May 8. (MND image)
