China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), with its exercises around Taiwan, is practicing what it would do, were the decision made to execute battle plans for a military occupation of Taiwan. Yesterday, the PLA Eastern Theater Command reported that PLA combat aircraft were coming close enough to Taiwan where pilots could see the island’s central mountain range even in poor weather, Global Times reported. “Today, my comrades-in-arms and I were ordered to conduct a close-in deterrence mission, in which we looked down at the coastline and the Central Mountain Range of the Taiwan island within visual range,” said Hou Hong, a pilot at a brigade attached to the PLA Eastern Theater Command Air Force who participated in the drills. “We will continue to enhance our combat preparedness so that we can deal with all kinds of crises,” he added. Video broadcast by CCTV showed Su-30 and J-16 fighters as well as an H-6K bomber participating in the exercises. (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272323.shtml)
At sea, more than 10 destroyers and frigates of the PLA Eastern Theater Command Navy conducted blockade operations from different directions surrounding the island on Aug. 5, during which the vessels also practiced realistic, combat-oriented training courses, including land attack, comprehensive offense and defense, as well as joint anti-submarine missions throughout day and night, CCTV reported.
