Taiwan’s Defense Ministry Monitors 15 Chinese Military Aircraft And 10 Naval Vessels Near Its Borders

The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) has reportedly monitored the movements of 15 Chinese military aircraft and 10 naval vessels in the vicinity of Taiwan between 6 am on Tuesday (March 19) and 6 am on Wednesday (March 20), according to Taiwan News.

Of the 15 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft tracked, six were observed entering the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by the MND. However, none of the PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during this period, as reported by Taiwan News.

In response to this activity, Taiwan promptly dispatched aircraft and naval ships, while also deploying air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA’s movements closely.

This recent incident adds to a growing trend, with Taiwan having tracked Chinese military aircraft 209 times and naval vessels 133 times just this month. Since September 2020, China has increasingly employed gray zone tactics by expanding the presence of military aircraft and naval ships around Taiwan, as noted by Taiwan News.

Gray zone tactics, defined as efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance, aim to achieve security objectives without resorting to direct and significant use of force.

Earlier, the Taiwan MND reported the tracking of ten Chinese naval vessels and nine military aircraft near Taiwan between 6 am on Monday and 6 am on Tuesday. One Chinese drone breached Taiwan’s ADIZ in the southwest, while a PLA helicopter was monitored in the southeast sector of the ADIZ. In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and air defense missile systems to monitor the PLA’s activities.

Similarly, in another incident reported by the Taiwan MND, nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships were tracked around Taiwan from 6 am on Sunday (March 17) to the same time on Monday (March 18). Among these, one Chinese drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the MND.