TAIPEI — Fifteen Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday (Jan. 24), marking the 20th intrusion this month.
Two People’s Liberation Army Air Force Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes, two SU-30 fighter jets, four J-16 fighter planes, six J-10 jet fighters, and one Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance plane conducted sorties in the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, the Taiwan military scrambled fighter jets, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the Chinese planes.
The 15 Chinese planes on Sunday are the highest number of planes spotted on a single-day in Taiwan’s ADIZ so far this year. On Saturday (Jan. 23), 13 PLAAF aircraft, including eight Xian H-6K bombers, four J-16 fighter jets, and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane were tracked in the identification zone.
Since mid-September of last year, Beijing has been regularly sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ. Most instances occurring in the southwest corner of the zone involve one to three Chinese aircraft, usually reconnaissance planes.
The U.S. military announced on Sunday the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) had entered the disputed South China Sea on Jan. 23 to promote “freedom of the seas.” According to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, “The TRCSG is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet to ensure freedom of seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security, and conduct a wide range of operations.”
Source: Taiwan News
Photo: ndtv.com
