Taiwan military releases surveillance images of Chinese aircraft, warships

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) In a rare move, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Tuesday released surveillance images of a Chinese fighter jet and two naval vessels participating in a joint air-sea exercise near the island.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting a "joint combat readiness patrol" in Taiwan's vicinity since 8:36 a.m. Tuesday, dispatching 22 aircraft, including J-10 and J-16 fighter jets and KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, to Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the MND said in a press release issued at 5:50 p.m.

Of those aircraft, 11 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or its extension and entered the northern, central, southwestern and eastern sectors of the ADIZ while operating in coordination with Chinese naval vessels, the ministry said.

An ADIZ is an area declared by a country to enable it to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft, but it is not part of territorial airspace as defined under international law.

The MND released three surveillance images along with the press release.

One of the images, taken from a Taiwanese F-16V fighter jet using the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), showed the exhaust nozzles of a Chinese J-16 fighter jet.

A second photo, taken from Taiwan's Su Au, a Kee Lung-class destroyer in waters off the island's southwestern coast, showed China's Yinchuan, a Type 052D destroyer, in the distance.

A third image, taken on board Taiwan's Wu Chang, a Kang Ding-class frigate, showed a Navy crew member monitoring China's Xuzhou, a Type 054A frigate, though the location was not specified.

The release came a day before Taiwan's opposition-controlled Legislature is set to review funding for five weapons systems approved for sale by the United States in December 2025.

Public releases of surveillance images captured using an F-16V's Sniper ATP are extremely rare and typically occur only during large-scale PLA exercises around Taiwan.

Similarly, the ministry has previously released images only of Chinese aircraft carriers making rare transits through the Taiwan Strait or naval vessels sailing unusually close to Taiwan's outlying islands.

The MND emphasized that the threats and provocative actions posed by Chinese military aircraft and vessels are "the only source of disruption to regional peace and stability."

Committed to preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's armed forces maintain close surveillance of Chinese military activities through joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets while tasking aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to respond as appropriate, the ministry said.