The Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported the intrusion of 20 Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) within the past 24 hours.
On Saturday evening (Nov. 6), the MND reported that 10 Shenyang J-16 and six Chengdu J-10 fighter jets had infringed on Taiwan’s ADIZ. The 16 warplanes penetrated the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, just northeast of the Dongsha Islands (Pratas Islands).
The next evening, the defense ministry announced that four more J-16 fighter planes had violated Taiwan’s ADIZ. Like the previous day’s incursions, the four fighters entered the southwest corner of the ADIZ, again near the Dongsha Islands.
In both cases, Taiwan’s Air Force responded by sending combat air patrol (CAP), broadcasting radio warnings, and tracking them with land-based anti-aircraft missiles. The incursions seen this weekend are the largest recorded in such a short timeframe in over a month.
On Oct. 1, China’s National Day, a record 38 Chinese military aircraft violated Taiwan’s ADIZ, though this was quickly surpassed by 39 more People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) planes the next day. An additional 16 PLAAF aircraft appeared on Oct. 3, and another record-shattering 56 planes breached the zone on Oct. 4, bringing the four-day total to 149 warplanes.
