Taiwan Scrambles Fighters 160 Times Since October 2013

The indigenous F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighters of the Republic of China Air Force's 443rd Tactical Fighter Wing — stationed in Tainan in southern Taiwan — have scrambled 160 times since October last year to check on surveillance aircraft from the United States and Russia intruding into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), reports our sister newspaper Want Daily.

The F-CK-1s were only scrambled 30 times between 2011 and October last year to intercept aircraft operating near Taiwanese airspace, with the number gradually increasing as tensions over the disputed East China Sea and South China Sea escalates.

When interviewed by the Taipei-based Radio Taiwan International on Jan. 24, the ROC Air Force stated that not all of those 160 missions can be categoried as intercept missions, however. Some were just normal combat patrol missions, an ROC Air Force spokesperson said.

The Taipei-based United Evening News stated that most of the aircraft encountered by the F-CK-1 fighters in the region were US P-3C and EP-3 patrol aircraft and Russian Tu-95 bombers. The paper reported that the American aircraft are usually seen flying towards the Philippines, while the Russian aircraft are heading towards Vietnam through the zone. Meanwhile, analysts claim that the aircraft may be collecting data regarding the speed of the F-CK-1 — an indigenous fighter designed in Taiwan that can react and be scrambled whenever radar detects unidentified aircraft near the region.

An ROC Air Force spokesperson told the United Evening News that many of the 160 missions were flown to provide air cover to Taiwanese fishing boats operating in the contested South China Sea. The missions were launched to prevent Philippine or Vietnamese maritime security vessels from harrassing Taiwanese fishermen in the region. The spokesperson added that the F-CK-1 fighters do not routinely encounter US or Russian patrol aircraft or bombers. [via]