TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense tracked seven naval vessels, three official ships, and four military aircraft between 6 a.m. on Saturday and the same time Sunday.
In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal-based missile systems. The aircraft did not cross the Taiwan Strait median line, nor did they enter the country’s air defense identification zones, according to the ministry.
So far this month, Taiwan has tracked Chinese military aircraft 204 times and ships 274 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels 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.”
