PLA 26 Sorties May 26 — Second 'Joint Combat Readiness Patrol' in One Week; Taiwan F-16 Photographs YY-20 Aerial Refueling; NSC Joseph Wu: 'Unprovoked'; 100+ PLA Ships Along First Island Chain

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 26 PLA aircraft sorties operating around Taiwan on May 26, 2026 — the second officially designated 'joint combat readiness patrol' within one week, following a similar operation approximately May 19. Seven PLAN vessels operated around Taiwan simultaneously. The 26-sortie count is the highest since the May 20 24-sortie multi-sector surge, pushing the full May 2026 sortie sequence to: 4→29→1→2→1→0→22→12→8→12→7→9→2→3→15→6→7→13→24→7→6→16→4→9→26. Taiwan's F-16 aircraft photographed a PLA YY-20 aerial refueling tanker conducting mid-air refueling of two PLA fighter jets during the operation — the first confirmed YY-20 refueling imagery documented by Taiwan's ROCAF during a routine patrol period. A Kang Ding-class ROC frigate also photographed China's Type 052D destroyer Yinchuan operating in the vicinity. Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu issued a public condemnation, calling the patrols 'unprovoked' and stating 'The PRC is the sole source of instability in the Indo-Pacific.' Wu also disclosed that China had deployed more than 100 ships along the First Island Chain — stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines — in the days following the Trump-Xi summit. The explicit 'joint combat readiness patrol' designation for the second time in a week signals the PLA is conducting more formally-named exercises rather than routine patrols, consistent with post-summit coercive pressure management. ROC Armed Forces deployed combat air patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems in response.