The Taiwanese military reported today (14th) that from 6 am yesterday (13th) to 6 am today, they detected over 68 flights of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft in the Taiwan Strait. Of these, 40 crossed the median line of the strait and its extension, entering the southwestern and southeastern airspace of Taiwan, marking a new record for this year.
The Taiwanese military released an image showing the Navy’s Keelung-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG-1801) monitoring the Shandong carrier (seen in the background).
According to the Taiwanese news outlet Zhongshi News Network, the months of July to September are peak periods for PLA drills. Not only are activities heightened around the Taiwan Strait, but a large number of naval operations are also seen in the South China Sea and East China Sea regions. On the 12th, Taiwan’s military pointed out that the PLA’s aircraft carrier, Shandong, had recently passed through the Bashi Channel heading to the western Pacific for exercises.
The Taiwanese military stated that they detected over 68 flights of various PLA aircraft models in the Taiwan Strait, including Su-Kai-30, Jian-10, BZK-005, Jian-16, Kongjing-500, Yunyou-20, and Yun-9. 40 of these flights crossed the median line and its extension to enter the southwestern and southeastern airspace of Taiwan. In addition, they detected 10 instances of PLA naval vessels operating in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait.
The Taiwanese military emphasized that they have been closely monitoring the situation using their aircraft, naval vessels, and shore-based missile systems.
The report highlighted a rare instance where the PLA Air Force deployed three Yunyou-20 aerial refueling aircraft, accompanying a large number of various types of fighter aircraft flying towards the southeast of Taiwan. This suggests a large formation’s long-range aerial refueling training is in progress. It is also believed that these activities are in coordination with the Shandong carrier’s long-distance training operations.