China Sends 30 Warplanes Near Taiwan

The Chinese military flew at least 30 warplanes into the skies off southwest Taiwan in one of the largest air force exercises of the year, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said late on Monday. Twenty-two fighter jets and eight support aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force were involved in the training operation inside Taiwan's air defense identification zone, a self-declared buffer zone extending beyond a state's territorial airspace. Monday's exercise was the biggest show of force by China's air forces since Taiwan detected 39 PLA aircraft in its ADIZ on January 23. The latest incursion—activity Taipei began disclosing in September 2020—brings the total for the year to 468 sorties, according to statistics compiled by Washington-based defense analyst Gerald Brown. Taiwan's Defense Ministry, which published illustrated flight paths as part of its now near-daily reports, said it dispatched interceptors, issued radio warnings and readied surface-to-air missiles to track the PLA aircraft. Monday's report also included what is believed to be the first appearance of two of the Russian-made Su-35 jets operated by the Chinese air force. The Taiwanese air force didn't return a request for comment regarding the Su-35s before publication. Ex-military radio enthusiasts who monitor the airspace around Taiwan for the regular ADIZ incursions heard Taiwan's air force issue 18 radio challenges between 6:23 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. local time on May 30, according to logs seen by Newsweek.

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