Taiwan tracks 12 Chinese warplanes, 5 naval ships around country

The Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 12 aircraft and five ships from China’s military around the country by 5 p.m. Friday (Sept. 9).

The aircraft included one drone and five planes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait at its southern end, the ministry tweeted. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was a Harbin BZK-005 high-altitude, long-range reconnaissance drone.

The other aircraft included two Chengdu J-10 multirole combat planes, a Xi’an JH-7 fighter-bomber, a Shenyang J-16 fighter, and a Shaanxi Y-8 ASW anti-submarine plane.

The military tasked Combat Air Patrols (CAP), Navy vessels, and air defense missile systems to monitor and respond to the Chinese activities.