China’s most recent military drills around Taiwan revealed shortcomings that continue to pose challenges to Beijing, despite its efforts to modernize its forces, a researcher said on Friday.
China conducted drills that involved 232 air sorties from April 8 to Monday last week, 35 sorties on Tuesday and 26 sorties on Wednesday, National Policy Foundation associate research fellow Chieh Chung (揭仲) said.
The drills showed that the Chinese military made significant improvements in formation flights, individual pilot skills and operational air control, but deficiencies in key capabilities were also apparent, he said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / XINHUA / Mei Shaoquan
Although China flew a record-breaking number of sorties, they did not exceed the sophistication displayed in drills involving 149 sorties from Oct. 1 to 4, 2021, he said.
China at the time practiced nighttime strike operations involving 25 planes, including fighter jets and bombers, that encroached on Taiwan’s southern and southeastern airspace under the guidance of airborne warning and air control systems (AWACS), he said.
During the most recent drills, China practiced sorties during the day and its strike groups did not carry out long-range penetration operations from bases along China’s coast, he said.
Although Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong launched 19 sorties on April 9 and Monday last week alongside China’s air force, there was little coordination between the units involved, he said, calling it China’s first-ever simulation of such a joint operation.
Chinese navy aircraft flew close to southeastern Taiwan, while jets operated by its air force flew near the Taiwan Strait’s median line, suggesting that China lacks the capability to use AWACS for such operations, Chieh said.
Only six sorties involved uncrewed aerial vehicles, an “absurdly low number” in light of the status of drones in China’s plans for a potential war in the Strait, he said.
The unimpressive practice of joint air and sea operations, sparse use of drones and a lack of nighttime flights suggest that the Chinese military has serious difficulties or tries to deceive its adversaries, he said.
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