The People's Liberation Army of China has been flying drones across Taiwan's median line, which Taiwanese soldiers confirmed. This was the first time that Chinese UAVs were known to cross the lines that divide the country's strait, as per reports by South China Morning Post.
As per the defense ministry of Taiwan, 45 PLA aircraft have been seen flying around the country, and 25 of them have crossed the median line. One of them was a BT-100 unmanned aerial vehicle.
Last Monday, Taiwan Military downed a civilian drone that flew in one of the restricted islands in the country as a warning. It was nearby Shiyu, which is a few kilometers away from mainland China. This move from Taiwan was unusual and not expected as the country has been restrained in pushing back against the opponent.
The New York Times reported that after the incident, the military of Taiwan implemented drone jammers that disrupt signals of incoming drones to the bases in the Kinmen and Matsu Islands. Soldiers from these areas have sent soldiers to Shiyu as per Maj. Gen. Chang Jung-Shun of the Kinmen Defense Command.
How did it start?
United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on August 2 and 3, which created tensions between the two countries, as reported by BBC. As a response to this, large-scale military exercises against Taiwan have been regulated by Beijing.
Along with Taiwan's main ally, which is the United States, Australia, and Japan express disapproval regarding China's acts. In fact, Japan has also been experiencing missiles that are landing in their economic zone.
A source from PLA stated via South China Morning Post that "The PLA used to send UAVs to perform reconnaissance tasks in sensitive areas of the sky before sending fighter jets for special missions, but the Taiwanese military wasn't aware of it until recently."
Taiwan and its Upgraded Defenses
The United States has recently approved the sale of weapons worth $1.1 billion to Taiwan following the incident of Chinese fighter jets crossing the media line of Taiwan Strait last month, as reported by Al Jazeera. The weapons include anti-ship missiles and surveillance radar.
An announcement from Taiwan has recently been released that states the annual military budget of the country will be increased to 13.9% compared to last year, which cost $19.9 billion. New fighter jets are expected to be purchased within the budget.
Meanwhile, China announced a $229 billion military budget for this year. The Director of Asia Engagement for Defense Priorities Lyle Goldstein stated that "It is clear that drones would have a very large role in any Chinese campaign to conquer Taiwan. China has made enormous efforts to integrate drone technology into all parts of the People's Liberation Army, as well as related services like the People's Armed Police and the Coast Guard."
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Written by Inno Flores
