Taiwan Detects 15 PLA Aircraft Sorties, 12 Crossing into Northern/Southwestern/Eastern ADIZ

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 15 PLA aircraft sorties, 8 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) September 16, 2026; 12 of the 15 sorties crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, entering the northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ sectors — nearly double the prior day's count and the highest single-day tally since the Sept 7-8 surge. Taiwan's armed forces responded with CAP aircraft, navy ships and coastal missile systems. The uptick coincides with the opening day of Taiwan's own 3-day Jioupeng Base precision-strike live-fire drill in Pingtung County.