Military Affairs

President visits long-range, early-warning station: Media speculates on US personnel spotted in the background

Suspected American personnel spotted at Leshan Radar Station
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

President Tsai Ing-wen visited a long-range, early-warning radar facility today, October 13, and the media is abuzz about the first time US personnel have been included in official pictures on the site. Due to adverse weather conditions, a helicopter could not be used to transport President Tsai to the facility, but not to be deterred, a bus was deployed to ferry the presidential contingent from Zhudong Township to the remote base, situated at an altitude of more than 2,600 meters,

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Military tank overturns, catches fire: one dead, one injured in Kinmen County

firefighters and tank on fire
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A tank commander died, and another soldier was injured, after a tank overturned and caught fire in Kinmen County, today, October 8. According to reports in United Daily News, and Liberty Times, the M41A3 light tank was returning to base after exercises when it overturned on a curve on a downhill section of road in Linbian Village on Little Kinmen Island. The tank crashed through a steel guardrail, and knocked down two power poles before coming to a stop on

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Fears of China invading Taiwan during US presidential succession: 46,000 allied troops will be active nearby in operation “Keen Sword”

US carrier group
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are at an all time high after visits of high-level US officials to the free and democratic country of Taiwan. The Chinese Communist party is incensed, and has responded with provocative military flights, threats, and live-fire military drills in coastal areas facing Taiwan, including the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea. Some military strategy experts have suggested that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may take advantage of the US presidential

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Taiwan scrambles jets 17 times as China buzzes island in anger at US official’s visit

map showing incursions by PLA aircraft
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Jets were scrambled from air bases around Taiwan at least 17 times this morning after multiple incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese Communist Party has expressed its anger over the visit of US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, Keith Krach, marking the highest level official to visit Taiwan since the US broke diplomatic relations in 1979. China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang announced this morning that combat drills would be carried out in

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Beijing accuses US Air Force of disguising spy plane missions as Malaysian civilian airliners over South China Sea

flight path of military reconnaissance aircraft allegedly disguised a civil airliner
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that the US Air Force has been flying missions over the South China Sea disguised with Malaysian civil aircraft codes, and that the action is provocative and dangerous. According to Chinese media reports, a United States Air Force RC-135W electronic reconnaissance aircraft took off from an airbase on Okinawa at 8:00 am this morning. Shortly after taking off, the identification signal disappeared, then an aircraft identified as a Malaysian passenger plane appeared on

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Military drone found beached in Japan confirmed to be from Taiwan

Taiwan-owned military drone on Japanese beach
Breaking News Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan’s military research institute, National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has verified that a drone found on Taketomi Island, Okinawa, is one of its own. The military drone was found on the island September 8. Marked “MQM-107E,” the drone was identified as an American made model used by the US military, but also sold to other countries, including Taiwan. The US military denied that it was one of their own units, and the Chinese characters for “left” and

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Taiwan’s defense and foreign affairs officials call China’s military exercises a provocation and threat to regional security

MND official shows Chinese military maneuvers on map
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Both the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and Ministry of Foreign affairs (MOFA), held unscheduled press conferences Thursday evening, September 10, in response to incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by Chinese military aircraft for the second day in a row. The MND condemned China’s joint navy and air force military exercises as “provocative,” and MOFA called on international partners to pay attention to China’s “threats to regional stability.” MND officials revealed that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

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Ministry of Defense confirms multiple incursions of Taiwan airspace by PLA aircraft

PLA fighter
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) confirmed this afternoon that PLA aircraft flew multiple sorties into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone this morning. The MOD press release said that Chinese PLA aircraft included SU-30 and J-10 fighters as well as multiple other types of aircraft. The MOD said that the air force closely monitored the flights and responded effectively to the incursions. The MOD also denied that PLA forces had encircled the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands, saying that it was falsely reported

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China protests after US Air Force flies U-2 spy plane over live-fire PLA-declared no-fly zone

Lockheed U-2
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

China’s Ministry of National Defense issued a statement, Tuesday, August 25, accusing the US military of “naked provocation,” after a US Air Force U-2 high-altitude surveillance plane flew over a no-fly zone during live-fire military exercises earlier that day. The People’s Liberation Army had declared a no-fly zone over the Bohai Sea, one of three areas where the PLA is holding concurrent military exercises along the coast of China. The live-fire military drills are being held from August 22 –

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US Navy destroyer sails through the Taiwan Strait

USS Mustin DDG-89
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

The Burke-class Aegis missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG-89) sailed through the Taiwan Strait today, August 18, after completing exercises in the East China Sea, according to reports by Taiwan media outlets. Both Taiwan and China dispatched ships to monitor the passage, according to United Daily News. The People’s Republic of China sent a type 052D guided missile destroyer, while Taiwan assigned a Cheng Kung class guided-missile frigate, according to the report. The Ministry of Defense did not confirm the information,

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Unexploded military bombs destroyed on-site off coast of New Taipei City

underwater explosion military ordnance disposal
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Navy divers set explosive charges and destroyed a cache of 13 unexploded military bombs off the coast of New Taipei City this morning. The bombs were first spotted by a recreational diver on July 20, and a search of the area by navy divers July 21 located a total of 13 bombs. Although the age and condition of the military ordnance made them difficult to identify, they are believed to be from World War II. The area was cordoned off

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