TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's military on Thursday (July 28) fired flares at a Chinese drone to warn it away as it flew over the outer island of Dongyin.
At 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that an unidentified aircraft had been spotted flying over Dongyin Island, which is part of the Matsu Islands that comprise Lienchiang County. The military determined that it was an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The MND stated that it "cannot rule out" the UAV was dispatched to probe the island's defenses and see what reaction it elicited. According to the ministry, the Dongyin Area Command responded in accordance with standard operating procedures and fired flares to warn the drone to leave Taiwan's airspace, while maintaining combat readiness and implementing covert actions.
The Army Command Headquarters pointed out that camouflaging of military camps, facilities, and positions were implemented in accordance with regulations. It added that countermeasures were carried out to prevent enemy air reconnaissance and ensure the security of the defense zone.
A senior official was cited by Reuters as saying the aircraft was probably the new Xiang Yi CSC-005 VTOL fixed-wing drone. It is the second time this year Chinese aircraft have been detected near Dongyin, with a Chinese Y-12 civilian transport plane flying near the island on Feb. 5.
The drone appeared on the fourth day of the 38th annual Han Kuang military exercise (漢光演習), a series of war games that include live-fire maneuvers being held from July 25-29.
On June 2, The Drive reported Chinese state-run TV footage as showing a couple of squadrons of drones on the deck of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong. In the photos, a drone in flight was listed by military analysts as possibly being the Xiangyi CSC-005, which is manufactured by China Electronics Technology Group (CETC).
Xiangyi CSC-005 is believed to be pictured in upper right-hand corner. (Weibo image)
