Taiwan tracks 9 Chinese military aircraft, 8 naval vessels

Taipei [Taiwan]: Nine Chinese military aircraft and 8 naval vessels were tracked by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) around Taiwan between 6 am on Friday (local time) and 6 am on Saturday (local time), Taiwan News reported.

Latest Incursion: Aircraft and Vessels on Friday to Saturday

Four out of nine People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered the southwest corner of Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The MND said it monitored the situation and responded by deploying appropriate resources and forces. "9 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's SW ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and employed appropriate forces to respond," Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence posted on X.

Grey Zone Tactics: China's Incremental Approach

Since September 2020, China has increased its use of 'grey zone tactics' by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan, according to Taiwan News.

Grey 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."

Previous Incidents: Thursday's Detection

Earlier, 10 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels were detected by Taiwan between 6 am on Thursday and 6 am on Friday According to Taiwan's MND, one aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, of the 10 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft.

In response, Taiwan also sent aircraft and naval vessels and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA activity. Earlier, 19 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected on Thursday. Among the 19 Chinese PLA aircraft, 12 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

February Overview: Surge in Chinese Military Presence

So far in February, Taiwan has detected over 250 Chinese military aircraft and over 150 Chinese naval ships 150 times, according to a Taiwan News report.

(With ANI inputs)

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