People’s Liberation Army Drones Patrol Around Taiwan Strait

In a rare report on mainland Chinese drone activity, Taiwan revealed that two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unmanned aerial vehicles circled the island for several hours on Saturday. This occurred just a day after Japan and the Philippines conducted joint exercises in nearby waters. According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, the drones crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and patrolled around the self-governing island from around noon until 9 p.m. The drones came as close as 43 nautical miles to Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost point.

In addition to the two drones, other PLA unmanned aircraft and several fighter jets operated in Taiwan’s southwestern airspace from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The operation involved a total of 18 aircraft, though the ministry did not detail the breakdown of aircraft types. Overall, 36 PLA aircraft and 12 vessels were detected in the 24-hour period starting from 6 a.m. on Saturday. Of these, 31 aircraft crossed the median line into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, covering its northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern regions.

This surge in PLA activity represents the most intense day of operations around Taiwan in three weeks and followed the Philippines and Japan’s first joint exercise in the West Philippine Sea—the area of the contested South China Sea nearest to the Philippine coast.

Since 2020, the PLA has conducted near-daily patrols in the Taiwan Strait. Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noted that he does not recall any previous reports of multiple drones circling the entire island. He suggested that if this is indeed a first, it indicates an escalation in China’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities targeting Taiwan.

Military commentator and former PLA instructor Song Zhongping speculated that the drones might have been on a reconnaissance mission related to the Japan-Philippines exercise. He suggested that the drones could have been gathering electronic signals and information on nearby weapons and equipment. Unmanned aircraft, Song noted, are typically used for strategic and tactical reconnaissance to provide manned aircraft with detailed intelligence.

Although full-circle drone missions around Taiwan are uncommon in reports, Song indicated that such missions have become more regular. The PLA’s drone patrols around Taiwan have been ongoing, with similar incidents reported as early as April of the previous year.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait and its airspace, considering Taiwan a part of China that should eventually be reunified by force if necessary. While most countries do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, the United States remains a key international supporter of Taiwan and is committed to arming it against potential aggression.

Koh noted that the primary objective of the PLA drone patrols is not solely surveillance but also to test Taiwan’s defenses. The operations likely aim to assess Taiwan’s ability to respond to multiple threats from various directions, aiding the PLA in planning its ISR and combat strategies.