Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around the island between 6 a.m. on Monday (March 27) and 6 a.m. on Tuesday (March 28).
Of the nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, three were tracked in Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. One CH-4 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the ADIZ, while two Shenyang J-11 fighter jets entered the southwest corner of the identification zone.
In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and used land-based missiles to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels.
So far this month, Beijing has sent 325 military aircraft and 101 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ.
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.”
