China has sent a record 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bomber aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense zone, the island’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as Beijing continues to step-up pressure on the self-ruled island.
The 18 bombers were part of 21 total Chinese warplanes sent into Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone – a buffer of airspace commonly referred to as an ADIZ – in the 24-hour span between Monday morning and Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.
The ministry said it monitored the situation and employed its fighter jets as well as land-based missile systems to track the Chinese planes. The flights represent the largest number of H-6 sorties in a 24-hour period since Taipei began releasing daily data on Chinese fighter incursions in 2020.
An ADIZ is unilaterally imposed and distinct from sovereign airspace, which is defined under international law as extending 12 nautical miles from a territory’s shoreline.
Credit: cnn.com
