Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said 51 Chinese military aircraft and six navy ships violated Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday (Aug 18), with 25 warplanes flying east of the median line.
At 7pm, the MND announced that as of 5pm, 51 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighters and bombers and six People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) vessels had encroached on Taiwan’s ADIZ. Of these aircraft, 25 had either crossed the median line or were spotted flying in the far southwest corner of the ADIZ northeast of the Dongsha Islands.
The 25 warplanes that had flown east of the median line were identified as 12 Sukhoi SU-30 fighters, six Shenyang J-16 fighters, four Chengdu J-10 fighters, two Xian H-6 bombers and one Shaanxi. Y-8 electronic warfare plane
The MND said it responded by scrambling combat patrol aircraft, issuing radio warnings and deploying air defense missile systems to monitor the incursions.
On the same day, Taiwan’s military unveiled the Sky Bow III surface-to-air defense system, dual 35mm anti-aircraft guns and the Tianbing (Skyguard) air defense system to the media.
