Live Threat Map
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese military plane was tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday (July 19), marking the 11th day of intrusions this month.
A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane flew into 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 track the PLAAF plane.
An ADIZ is an area that extends beyond a country’s airspace where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.
So far this month, China has sent 39 military aircraft into Taiwan’s identification zone, including 17 fighter jets, two fighter bombers, one bomber, two helicopters, and 17 spotter planes.
Since September 2020, 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. In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days, according to the MND.
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.”
Flight path of Chinese plane on July 19. (MND image)
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