Taiwanese military tracked all three planes as they entered identification zone

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/11/06
By: Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 5), marking the 35th such disturbance into the zone by People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) planes since Sept. 16.

One Shaanxi Y-9 electronic warfare plane, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare aircraft, and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine airplane intruded into the southwest section of the ADIZ, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). Fighters were scrambled, radio warnings were broadcast, and air defense missile systems were deployed to track the three PLAAF planes.

China’s recent military posturing in the Taiwan Strait began on Sept. 16 when two Shaanxi Y-8s entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ. On Sept. 18, Beijing sent 18 military planes — including H-6 bombers and J-10, J-11, and J-16 fighters jets split into five groups — to carry out flights to the northwest of Taiwan and in the southwest portion of its ADIZ, with some crossing over the median line in the strait.

The following day (Sept. 19), an additional 19 planes, including Chinese bombers, fighter jets, and patrol planes, flew six different sorties between an area northwest of Taiwan and the southwest portion of the ADIZ, with some again flying over the median line. Between one and three Chinese warplanes also entered the ADIZ on Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24, and 29; Oct. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31; Nov. 1, 4, and 5.   [FULL  STORY]