PLA Spikes to 11 Sorties on April 1 — Breaking March 30–31 One-Sortie Baseline

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 11 PLA aircraft sorties around Taiwan on April 1, 2026 — a sudden and significant uptick from the one-sortie baseline maintained on both March 30 and March 31. All 11 sorties entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ; 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship were also operating around Taiwan. The jump from 1 to 11 sorties in 24 hours reverses the post-peak de-escalation trajectory and marks the highest single-day count since March 29's 19-sortie peak. Analysts note the spike comes approximately one week before KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's announced April 7-12 visit to China — a pattern consistent with PLA combined pressure-and-dialogue signaling. ROC Armed Forces deployed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response. The renewed pressure complicates the post-spike de-escalation narrative that had taken hold over March 30-31.