PLA Aircraft Disturb Taiwan with New Tactics! First-Time Crossing of Median Line into Restricted Airspace – Chieh Chung: Likely Combat Training for Armed Invasion

Unusual new patterns have emerged in PLA aircraft activities near Taiwan. Chieh Chung, Deputy Research Fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, stated that according to the Ministry of National Defense’s report on 'PLA Activities in the Maritime and Airspace Surrounding the Taiwan Strait,' on July 20 between 10:20 a.m. and 7:40 p.m., one helicopter and one drone were deployed by China to fly in the airspace east of Dongyin and Wuqiu in the Taiwan Strait. Notably, the helicopter not only crossed the median line but also conducted a 'restricted airspace penetration flight'—flying for an extended period within Taiwan’s R9 restricted zone east of the median line, along a path roughly parallel to the line.

Chieh emphasized that this appears to be the first time since August 2022—when China unilaterally abandoned the tacit median line agreement—that a Chinese military helicopter has directly crossed the median line in the narrower central to northern sections of the Taiwan Strait. It is also confirmed to be the first instance of a Chinese helicopter conducting such a 'restricted airspace penetration flight' east of the median line. In other words, China has demonstrated two new gray-zone tactics toward Taiwan within a single day.

Chieh noted that since August 2022, Chinese military helicopters have frequently appeared in Taiwan’s surrounding airspace, many of which are ship-based models. For instance, yesterday, one ship-based helicopter was spotted just outside adjacent zones to the north and southeast of Taiwan, respectively. However, based on currently available information from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, it remains unclear whether the helicopter that crossed the median line and entered the restricted zone was a ship-based model or a land-based helicopter from the PLA Army Aviation Corps.

Chieh stressed that if this helicopter originated from the PLA Army Aviation units, it raises concerns that this could signal the beginning of irregular training exercises by PLA aviation units over the Taiwan Strait—and even east of the median line—specifically for airborne maneuver operations in preparation for a potential armed invasion of Taiwan. The R9 restricted zone is the closest such zone to northern Taiwan’s landmass among the four restricted zones designated by Taiwan’s military east of the median line.

Chieh added that in recent years, the PLA has increasingly conducted joint helicopter and drone cross-strait突击 drills in preparation for a potential armed invasion of Taiwan, primarily focusing on 'reconnaissance-strike integration' and follow-on troop transport. However, such drills have never before been conducted directly across the Taiwan Strait. The presence of both a helicopter and a drone conducting a 'restricted airspace penetration flight' east of the median line raises suspicions that this may mark the first time the PLA has conducted coordinated combat training involving helicopters and drones within Taiwan’s R9 restricted zone, east of the median line.