Taiwan detects 3 PLA aircraft, 5 PLAN ships operating around island
Sep 28, 2026
Taipei [Taiwan], September 28 : Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said on Monday (local time) that three sorties of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, five People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and four official ships were detected operating around its territory.
According to an official daily update issued by the ministry, one of the three People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft breached the median line of the Taiwan Strait and crossed into Taiwan’s northern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
"3 sorties of PLA aircraft, 5 PLAN ships and 4 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 out of 3 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern ADIZ," the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan posted on X.
Earlier, on Sunday, the ministry said that two sorties of Chinese PLA aircraft, five PLAN vessels and six official ships were detected operating around Taiwan.
In a post on X, the Taiwanese Defence Ministry said, “2 sorties of PLA aircraft, 5 PLAN vessels and 6 official ships operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded.”
According to data cited by Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA), 244 Chinese vessels were detected in waters around Taiwan last month, compared with 55 in June and 30 in May. The Taipei Times reported that the figure represents an average of nearly eight Chinese vessels operating in the area every day.
Around 60 per cent of the vessels detected last month were Chinese coast guard ships, while the figures did not include Chinese naval vessels, which are regularly deployed around Taiwan. The Taipei Times noted that 152 Chinese vessels were detected during the first 21 days of this month, taking the total number recorded since May to 1,247.
A CGA official described the situation as becoming "increasingly severe," highlighting growing concerns over Beijing's expanding maritime activities around the island.
The increasing involvement of Chinese research vessels has also drawn attention. Ryan D. Martinson of the US Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute said data collected by civilian research institutes can be shared with China's military and is particularly valuable for submarine and anti-submarine warfare. While he said the tactic itself is not new, its current scale is unprecedented. The Taipei Times cited Martinson as saying the operations demonstrate an escalation in Beijing's efforts to assert jurisdiction over waters around Taiwan while placing additional pressure on its leadership.
