Taiwan MND Detects 19 PLA Aircraft Sorties — Highest Single-Day Count of Late-March Spike

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 19 sorties of PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN vessels, and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan on March 29 — the highest single-day sortie count of the late-March escalation spike. 13 of 19 sorties crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, penetrating northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ sectors simultaneously, continuing the multi-sector pattern established on March 28 (15 sorties, 11 crossing). The three-day progression — 6 sorties (Mar 27) → 15 sorties (Mar 28) → 19 sorties (Mar 29) — represents the sharpest week-over-week surge since the March 25 spike of 16 sorties (13 crossing). PLA Eastern Theater Command again described activity as 'air-sea joint training.' ROC Armed Forces deployed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems. Analysts at AEI/ISW note the sustained multi-sector simultaneous crossing pattern is qualitatively more significant than mere aircraft counts, as it forces Taiwan's air defense to respond across all sectors simultaneously — a stress-test characteristic of rehearsal for operational conditions.