According to Taiwan media reports, at 6 a.m. on June 18 and 19, a total of 20 PLA military planes approached Taiwan Island from three directions: the Taiwan Strait, southwest of Taiwan, and east of Taiwan Island, forming a three-fold sandwich, and the closest was only about 39 nautical miles away from Taiwan Island. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaching Taiwan Island from different directions has different deterrent significance.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) cruises the Taiwan Strait
The approach from the Taiwan Strait is intended to remind the Taiwan authorities that the "median line of the strait" that they fantasized about in their hearts no longer exists. Judging from the fact that a mainland civil airliner flew over Kinmen a few days ago, this is also a warning to the Taiwan authorities that the mainland exercises its jurisdiction over the Kinmen and Matsu regions, and that the Taiwan authorities should not act rashly, otherwise the PLA will not be polite.
On the one hand, the purpose of approaching from the southwest of Taiwan is to strengthen control over the Bass Strait, and warships from the United States, Canada, and other countries outside the region have recently frequently entered and exited the South China Sea, and there is a very high possibility that there will be provocative moves to cross the Taiwan Strait, so it is necessary to step up reconnaissance in the southwest direction. On the other hand, Kaohsiung City, southwest of Taiwan Island, has the most important port on the island, and the normalization of patrolling this airspace is a reminder to the Taiwan authorities that the island's economic lifeline is in the hands of the mainland at any time, and if necessary, the mainland can achieve blockade control at any time.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) cruises the Taiwan Strait
The operation was carried out east of the island, mainly against the Jiashan military base in Taitung. It is known as the largest underground air-raid shelter of the Taiwan army, as well as fortifications used to conceal fighters, and it is the key place for the Taiwan army to "preserve its combat strength." The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is cruising in the waters off Taitung to tell the Taiwan authorities not to think about "resisting reunification by force." Once a war begins, the Taiwan military's desire to preserve its naval and air combat strength is merely an illusion.
Therefore, the PLA's continuous patrols in the Taiwan Strait are not only familiar with the tactics of combat drills, but also can form a powerful deterrent to the "Taiwan independence" forces on the island. However, compared with the PLA's three bread clips that day, what made the island even more panicked was the appearance of the PLA's 094A nuclear submarine in the Taiwan Strait, and it rarely sailed on the surface.
PLA nuclear submarines
According to Taiwan media reports, in the early morning of June 18, Penghu fishermen found a PLA 094A strategic nuclear submarine sailing above the surface in the waters from Penghu to Kinmen. The strategic deterrent power of nuclear submarines mainly comes from the high concealment of their whereabouts, so they will not easily float under normal circumstances. Some analysts believe that it is possible that this nuclear submarine will go north to carry out maintenance tasks, and in order to save time, it will pass through the Taiwan Strait, but due to poor navigation conditions, it will choose to sail on the surface for safety. Some analysts believe that this is the PLA's forceful response to the US commander's clamor for military intervention in the Taiwan Strait. The "Julang-2A" intercontinental missile carried by the 094A can cover the US mainland in the South China Sea, and is a key strategic weapon for the PLA to deter the United States.
At the "incense meeting" at the beginning of the month, Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, revealed that the U.S. military is building a "no man's hell" strategy. According to the US military's assumption, once the PLA takes over Taiwan by force, the US military will drop a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ships in the Taiwan Strait to delay the PLA's attack. In fact, this is a refinement of the US military's "distributed" strategy, which shows that the United States has been making military preparations for its intervention in the Taiwan Strait.
Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Paparo
In fact, the US military not only has to equip itself with a large number of drones to deal with the PLA, but also sells a large number of them to Taiwan in order to strengthen the so-called "asymmetric combat power" of the Taiwan military and increase the difficulty for the PLA to take over Taiwan. According to the global network, on June 18, local time, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that it would sell 291 anti-armor unmanned aerial systems and 720 "Switchblade 300" suicide drones to Taiwan, with a total value of 360 million US dollars.
After Biden took office, especially after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States has not only become more and more intensive, but also has seen a significant change in thinking. Selling a large number of drones to Taiwan Island is to learn from the experience of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The brilliant performance of UAVs in the modern battlefield has attracted the attention of all parties. For us, how to deal with the drones deployed by the United States and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait is a topic that must be examined.
Suicide UAV "Switchblade" -300 model
From a strategic point of view, there are three ways to deal with it. The first is to take the initiative and strike at the source. Keeping a close eye on US military bases in the Asia-Pacific region and the important naval and air bases of the Taiwan military on the island, these targets will be the key targets of attack once there is a change in the Taiwan Strait. The second is to destroy the kill chain of the US and Taiwan unmanned aerial systems through electronic warfare countermeasures. If it is impossible to annihilate all of them by taking the initiative, it is necessary to prepare hard killing methods. Diplomatic warnings can only have deterrent significance if they are adequately prepared at the military level.