Recent Significant Air Operations in the Chinese theater

There have been several developments in East China and South China Seas recently related to US-Chinese military operations. Naturally, the issues pertain to Taiwan. One event of note took place on October 15, when a Taiwan commercial charter aircraft carrying ROC military personnel was denied clearance through the Hong Kong ATC to land at an airfield on Pratas (Dongsha) Island operated by Taiwan. Ostensibly the reason for this was reported by the ATC as hazards to flight below 27,000 feet. The prop driven aircraft in question had a ceiling of 25,000 feet and was compelled to return to Kaohsiung. Apparently there was no notice of any hazards to flight in the region and the Taiwan Defense Minister disputed the PRC explanation.

As it turns out, there was a report of extensive Chinese military air live fire exercises later posted on Weibo by PRC national defense officials on October 22. The dates that the exercises took place in the South China Sea were not specified in the public information report. Shin In-kyun, a well known South Korean defense analyst published the report in his October 23 account of the incident. It isn't clear if these extensive PRC live fire exercises Shin described as involving one hundred aircraft with thirty pilots getting live fire air combat training were the basis for the diverted ROC charter flight.

Another significant military aviation event which resulted in complaints from the PRC was the alleged overflight of Taiwan by a US RC-135w on October 23. There were conflicting indications from US commmands as to whether the flight had overflown Taiwan or not. The PRC complaint regards US military activities over Taiwan's territorial airspace as US interference in Chinese internal affairs. This blog has an account derived from Sin In-kyun's Daily Defense program showing a US Airforce C-40 overflying Taiwan in June of this year.

Last but not least, four US B1-b bombers have deployed to Guam. It was reported that their flight route took them through the Sea of Japan where they conducted joint operations with Japan's Self Defense Air Forces. Aircraft spots on Oct 24 reported a section of B1-b's flying into the South China Sea region south of Taiwan on October 24.

There have been other relevant air operations in the region since October 15, many of which can be viewed on the Aircraft Spots twitter feed, which I have found to be a reliable source in recent years. Among those are the routine air reconnaisance missions flown by the US south of the DMZ and Northern Limit Lines between North and South Korea, I refer to as the Seoul Patrol.

Sources and links:

Taiwan’s defence chief rejects Hong Kong’s explanation for turning back government flight to Pratas Islands; Oct 16, Danny Lee
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3105815/hong-kong-rejects-suggestion-it-deliberately-stopped

China-US rivalry: PLA monitored American warplane as it flew over Taiwan, PLA source says; Oct 24, Kristin Huang
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106935/china-us-rivalry-pla-monitored-american-warplane-it-flew-over

中, 전투기 100대 동원 실탄 훈련! 대만 침공 D-Day 카운트다운; Oct 23, 신인균의 국방TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXZqz30l9ys

Cat and Mouse Games over Taiwan? Jun 16;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2020/06/cat-and-mouse-games-over-taiwan.html

https://twitter.com/AircraftSpots/status/1320026229915807745

Seoul Patrol; June 1;
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2019/06/seoul-patrol.html