Team News Riveting
Taiwan air force swung into action again on Friday to warn away 25 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone on Friday.
According to the defence ministry in Taipei, a total of 25 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Friday (October 1), the 72nd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force, often in the southwestern part of its air defence zone close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Last week, the PLA flew 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan after it announced it would apply to join a Pacific trade group that China also applied to join.
The aircraft involved in Friday’s incidents were 18 J-16 fighter jets, four SU-30 jets, two H-6 bombers, and one Y-8 anti-submarine plane. As on most previous occasions, all the planes were spotted in the area southwest of Taiwan’s main island.
The Taiwan defence ministry said it scrambled jets, issued radio warnings to tell the Chinese aircraft to turn back and deployed air defense missile systems. The Chinese planes subsequently returned. Taiwan has complained that China, which claims the democratic island as its own, has stepped up military activities in recent months.
The highest number of incursions during a single day occurred on June 15, when 28 planes were involved.
