TAIPEI: The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and six naval ships around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (June 26) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (June 27).
Of the eight People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, five were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Three Sukhoi Su-30 combat jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the ADIZ.
Meanwhile, one WZ-7 reconnaissance drone and one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter were followed in the southwest corner of the identification zone. 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 307 military aircraft and 138 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 resorting to direct and sizable use of force.”
