TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday (Sept. 28), marking the 25th intrusion this month.

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane and a Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft both entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor the PLAAF planes.

China has sent a mix of turboprops, fighter jets, and bombers into Taiwan’s identification zone every day this month so far except for on Sept. 2, 18, and 21.

Since September of last year, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner of the zone.

An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves. Gray zone tactics are defined “as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”

According to MND data, Chinese aircraft were tracked in the ADIZ 14 times in August, 14 times in July, 10 times in June, 18 times in May, 22 times in April, 18 times in March, 17 times in February, and 27 times in January. Last year, they were observed 19 times in December, 22 times in November, and 22 times in October.



(Chinese Y-8 ASW. (MND photo)



Flight paths of Chinese planes on Sept. 28. (MND image)