According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, for the past three days, at least thirty Chinese People’s Liberation Army aircraft have violated the Taiwanese air defense identification zone (ADIZ) each day.
This is a significant uptick in activity as the last observed incident of more than thirty aircraft on a single day was June 7th, 2023, followed by a month of reduced activity. The Taiwanese reporting for the past three days reads below:
38 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities.
— ??? Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. ?? (@MoNDefense) July 12, 2023
Since 0700 (UTC+8) today (Jul. 12), the R.O.C. Armed Forces detected 30 PLA aircraft (including J-10, J-16, H-6, Y-8 EW, Carrier-based aircraft, UAV etc.), 23 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered our SW/SE ADIZ.
— ??? Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. ?? (@MoNDefense) July 12, 2023
33 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/bAOuykTgJC
— ??? Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. ?? (@MoNDefense) July 13, 2023
This increase in provocative activity, especially during increased tensions between the U.S. and North Korea adds another layer of intricacy to U.S. and allied planners in the region.