TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 26 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (July 4) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (July 5).
Of the 26 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, nine were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Four Chengdu J-10 fighter jets, two Sukhoi Su-30 combat jets, and two Shenyang J-11 jet fighters crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.
Meanwhile, one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of the country’s ADIZ. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and used land-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 60 military aircraft and 20 naval ships around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan.
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.”Flight paths of nine out of 26 PLA aircraft. (MND image)