Nine Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels were spotted around Taiwan from 6 am Friday to 6 am Saturday, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND). Responding to this, Taiwan deployed combat patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems.
The MND announced on social media that it detected the presence of nine People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and five People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels operating near Taiwan until 6 a.m. Saturday local time. This comes after a previous detection of 26 Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels from Thursday to Friday.
Among the 26 PLA aircraft, 14 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, while two were spotted in the northeast sector of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), and three others entered the southwest ADIZ. Taiwan's MND stated that China's actions have been monitored closely, with responses involving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, as well as the deployment of combat patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based air defense missile systems.
Taiwan has reported similar incidents throughout May, with Chinese military aircraft detected 30 times and naval vessels 16 times. These actions have been part of China's strategy since September 2020, which involves increased military presence around Taiwan.
In light of these developments, Taiwan is focusing on strengthening its defense capabilities. The country is in the midst of a peak period of weapon acquisition to bolster its integrated "kill chain" functionality and deter potential threats. The "kill chain" strategy involves a series of tactical steps to identify and neutralize targets in military operations.
Additionally, Taiwan's MND has submitted a report to the Legislative Yuan outlining the country's defense preparations and strategic actions amid the international warfare situation. This includes efforts to share information with allied countries in the Indo-Pacific region to build a unified deterrence force.
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