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Business Standard
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Taiwan MND detects over 60 sorties of Chinese aircraft in its territory
From early morning until 8:15 am (UTC+8), a total of 61 PLA aircraft sorties and several naval vessels were detected, with many aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait ANI Asia Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Tuesday reported increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan. From early morning until 8:15 am (UTC+8), a total of 61 PLA aircraft sorties and several naval vessels were detected, with many aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In a post on X, MND said, "Overall 27 sorties of #PLA aircraft in various types (including J-16, KJ-500, etc.) were detected from 0815hr today. 18 out of 27 sorties crossed the median line of the #Taiwan Strait and entered the northern, central, eastern and southwestern ADIZ in conducting air-sea joint training along with other PLAN vessels. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." Earlier in the day, MND had said, "34 sorties of PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 am (UTC+8) today. 34 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." On Monday, MND had detected four PLA aircraft, eight PLAN vessels, and two official ships near its territory. Taiwan's military is prioritising combat readiness as a key aspect of deterrence due to escalating threats from China, as reported by Focus Taiwan, citing Minister of National Defence Wellington. President Lai Ching-te noted that the armed forces are undergoing a significant transformation to better handle the increasing hostility from Beijing. "As we are situated on an island, we need to stockpile military supplies in case China launches multiple assaults. We may even need to prepare for a war of endurance," he stated, according to the Focus Taiwan report. To prepare for these potential situations, the military has revamped its training programs. Koo mentioned that new training subjects have been introduced for both conscripts and senior officers, encompassing topics related to newly acquired military assets. He emphasised that the objective is to "prepare for war," insisting that readiness is crucial for maintaining a strong deterrent, as noted by Focus Taiwan. Koo also highlighted Taiwan's ongoing focus on asymmetric warfare, especially following the extension of compulsory military service to one year starting January 1, 2024. Elements like air defence units, drones, and mobile radar systems are integral to Taiwan's strategy to ensure precision and adaptability against a numerically superior opponent, as indicated by Focus Taiwan. He remarked that the military must evaluate whether troop planning and positioning are sufficient for scenarios in which the Chinese People's Liberation Army suddenly escalates exercises near Taiwan into real attacks. The annual Han Kuang exercises are set to take place from July 9-18 this year, significantly longer than last year's five-day war games, which were cut short by a typhoon. Koo stressed that the exercises intend to identify weaknesses in existing plans and address any issues, according to Focus Taiwan.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
China increases military operations near Taiwan amid rising tensions
ANI image Taiwan's ministry of national defence (MND) on Tuesday reported a sharp uptick in Chinese military operations in the vicinity of the island, with a total of 61 sorties of People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and several Chinese naval vessels detected within a few hours. According to the MND, between early morning and 8:15 a.m. local time, 27 PLA aircraft including J-16 fighters and KJ-500 early warning planes entered Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Eighteen of these aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and approached Taiwan's northern, central, eastern, and southwestern sectors as part of joint air-sea training exercises. In parallel, several Chinese naval vessels were operating near the island. — MoNDefense (@MoNDefense) Earlier the same morning, Taiwan reported the detection of 34 PLA aircraft, nine Chinese warships, and one Chinese government vessel around its periphery, with all aircraft also crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. On Monday, the MND observed a smaller scale of Chinese activity, noting the presence of four PLA aircraft, eight naval vessels, and two official ships near Taiwan. In response, Taiwan's armed forces have been on heightened alert, closely monitoring the situation and responding with defensive measures where necessary. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The island's defence posture has focused heavily on preparedness and deterrence, with the government reaffirming its commitment to maintaining regional stability. According to the Focus Taiwan report, Defence Minister Wellington Koo outlined reforms in Taiwan's military training programs, designed to bolster combat readiness amid the rising frequency of Chinese operations. These reforms include adjustments for both conscripts and senior officers, emphasizing asymmetric warfare tactics, the deployment of drones, and the integration of mobile radar systems. Taiwan's extension of compulsory military service to one year from January 2024 reflects a broader shift in national defence strategy. President Lai Ching-te underscored the need for vigilance, citing the risk of potential escalations and the importance of readiness. 'As we are situated on an island, we need to stockpile military supplies in case China launches multiple assaults. We may even need to prepare for a war of endurance,' he said. The Han Kuang military exercises, Taiwan's largest annual drills, are scheduled to take place from July 9 to 18 this year. These exercises aim to test the island's combat readiness and identify potential weaknesses in Taiwan's defence strategy.
Asia Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Asia Times
Jet by jet, US losing Pacific air superiority over China
China is racing to shatter US air dominance in the Pacific—one stealth jet, long-range missile and cratered runway at a time. This month, a top US official stated that China is rapidly building its capacity to challenge US air superiority in the Pacific, particularly within the strategically vital First Island Chain. Testifying before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), warned that the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), with an order of battle of 2,100 fighters and over 200 H-6 bombers, is outproducing the US in fighter aircraft at a ratio of 1.2 to 1. Paparo credited China with 'high marks' for its ability to deny US air superiority along the First Island Chain, citing its fast-growing fighter fleet, advanced long-range air-to-air missiles and sweeping modernization across all warfighting domains. Holding air superiority along the First Island Chain, which stretches from Japan to the Philippines, is essential for the US to operate and support allies like Taiwan. Paparo stressed that air supremacy—total control of the air—will not be enjoyed by either side, but warned that without credible investment in long-range fires, integrated air and missile defenses, and advanced command and control systems, the US risks falling behind. 'Ceding air superiority is not an option,' he cautioned. Seth Jones and Alexander Palmer mention in a March 2024 report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) that while China's fighter production capacity is impressive, it is still behind the US in aircraft numbers, with the US maintaining an advantage in fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 in particular. However, Jones and Palmer point out that China is closing the production gap with the US. They note China is reportedly producing 100 fifth-generation J-20 fighters annually and tripling the production of other aircraft types, such as the J-10C and J-16, suggesting a high production rate. Jones and Palmer attribute China's high fighter output to its centralized, whole-of-government approach to defense production. In terms of long-range air-to-air missiles, Tyler Rogoway mentions in a December 2023 article for The War Zone (TWZ) that China's new PL-17 is most likely a very long-range air-to-air missile with an estimated 300-kilometer range. Rogoway notes that the PL-17 may be intended against airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, other aircraft close to the target, ground-based radar or satellites. He mentions that the size of the PL-17 may restrict it to being carried externally by China's J-16 or J-20 fighters. As for China's rapid airpower growth, the US Department of Defense's (DOD) 2024 China Military Power Report (CMPR) states that the PLAAF and PLA Naval Aviation comprise the Indo-Pacific's largest air force, with 3,150 aircraft—1,900 of them fighters—an increase of 400 in the last three years, per Aquilino. Aquilino warns that if trends persist, China could soon overtake the US in total airpower, complementing its dominance on land and sea. Given China's looming quantitative fighter advantage, Matthew Revels mentions in an April 2023 Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs article that in an invasion of Taiwan, the PLA would likely mass air assets over the self-governing island to achieve localized, tactical air superiority instead of fighting to achieve strategic air dominance. Beyond sheer fighter numbers, China's missile capabilities pose an even greater threat to US air operations in the region. Eamon Passey mentions in a December 2024 article for the American Foreign Policy Council that when it comes to conventional missiles, the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) has a significant hardware advantage over the US. Passey notes China has developed an extensive array of ballistic and cruise missiles that are oftentimes more numerous and sophisticated than their US counterparts. He says that while the US invests in hypersonic weapons technology, it lags behind China in development and deployment due to high costs and the complexity of integrating those weapons into its military framework. Passey observes that China can make substantial investments in its missile capabilities mainly due to the absence of constraining arms control treaties. He also points out that the PLARF manages an autonomous, intensely focused and extensive missile program that has quickly developed to unite nuclear and conventional capabilities under a single command structure. The PLARF is critical in China's counter-intervention strategy in regional conflicts. Christopher Mihal mentions in a 2021 Military Review article that China, as of that year, has 2,200 conventional ballistic missiles and enough anti-ship missiles to attack every US surface combatant in the South China Sea, with sufficient firepower to overcome each ship's missile defenses. Further, Kelly Grieco and other writers mention in a December 2024 Stimson Center report that the PLARF is expected to play a leading role in neutralizing US airbases in Japan, Guam, and other Pacific locations, launching coordinated missile attacks to destroy US aircraft on the ground and cratering runways to make them unusable. These missile capabilities threaten the US's forward-deployed airpower, which remains highly vulnerable due to inadequate base fortifications, Greico writes. Thomas Shugart III and Timothy Walton mention in a January 2025 Hudson Institute report that in a worst-case scenario, most US aircraft losses will occur on the ground, as its Pacific airbases lack hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) and individual aircraft shelters (IAS). They mention that US operational concepts have assumed mainly that its aircraft would operate from forward airfields uncontested and that minor threats to those facilities would abate with the cessation of hostilities. They say that thinking disregards China's growing ability to strike those vulnerable facilities with missiles, aircraft and special forces. Shugart and Walton say China has enough firepower to make dispersal alone an ineffective countermeasure. These shortcomings could prove catastrophic in the event of a Chinese assault on Taiwan, where a rapid US response would be critical to deterrence and defense. Timothy Heath and other writers mention in a June 2023 RAND report that Taiwan is vulnerable to defeat in the first 90 days after an invasion, with that time being the minimum required for the US to marshal enough forces for military intervention. In contrast, Bonny Lin and other writers mention in an August 2024 CSIS report that China can sustain major combat operations against Taiwan for six months as part of a larger blockade, with PLAAF and PLARF strikes aiming to neutralize the latter's naval bases, coastal and air defense batteries and command and control with the option of unleashing more missile and air attacks should Taiwan continue to resist. Lin and others say those intensified attacks also aim to prevent Taiwan from reconstituting damaged equipment and deploying additional weapons systems. If the US doesn't act fast, the next battle for air superiority could be over before its aircraft even get off the ground.
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
French and Filipino forces conduct joint naval exercises amid South China Sea tensions
France and the Philippines have vowed to deepen their alliance after carrying out joint combat exercises in the disputed South China Sea last week. In a display of military strength that is likely to anger China, the two countries conducted anti-submarine warfare drills and aerial combat training. Following the exercises, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, docked on Friday at Subic Bay, a former US naval base northwest of Manila. On Sunday, Marie Fontanel, the French ambassador to the Philippines, spoke from the carrier's flight deck. "We aim to deepen our cooperation with regional partners with whom we share common values such as upholding international law and ensuring freedom of navigation in shared maritime spaces," she said. France and the Philippines signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation and joint exercises in late 2023. They are now also negotiating a deal that would allow their troops to conduct training in each other's territory. French officials have submitted a draft proposal to Manila to initiate discussions. The Philippines has already signed similar agreements with the US and Australia. Although France has been increasing its defence partnerships with Southeast Asian countries that are embroiled in maritime disputes with China, Paris has insisted that its activities are focused on emergency preparedness and do not target any specific nation. China, however, has objected to the presence of foreign military forces in the South China Sea, particularly those of the US and its allies. Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire waterway, though it has not officially defined what it considers to be the boundaries. These claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, leading to long-standing territorial disputes. Tensions flared again two weeks ago when Australia accused a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of launching flares dangerously close to one of its P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
France and the Philippines seek to strengthen ties after joint drills
France and the Philippines have vowed to deepen their alliance after carrying out joint combat exercises in the disputed South China Sea last week. In a display of military strength that is likely to anger China, the two countries conducted anti-submarine warfare drills and aerial combat training. Following the exercises, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, docked on Friday at Subic Bay, a former US naval base northwest of Manila. On Sunday, Marie Fontanel, the French ambassador to the Philippines, spoke from the carrier's flight deck. "We aim to deepen our cooperation with regional partners with whom we share common values such as upholding international law and ensuring freedom of navigation in shared maritime spaces," she said. France and the Philippines signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation and joint exercises in late 2023. They are now also negotiating a deal that would allow their troops to conduct training in each other's territory. French officials have submitted a draft proposal to Manila to initiate discussions. The Philippines has already signed similar agreements with the US and Australia. Although France has been increasing its defence partnerships with Southeast Asian countries that are embroiled in maritime disputes with China, Paris has insisted that its activities are focused on emergency preparedness and do not target any specific nation. China, however, has objected to the presence of foreign military forces in the South China Sea, particularly those of the US and its allies. Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire waterway, though it has not officially defined what it considers to be the boundaries. These claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, leading to long-standing territorial disputes. Tensions flared again two weeks ago when Australia accused a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of launching flares dangerously close to one of its P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea.
