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Representative Image |
Beijing, China.
China is waving a wide cluster of military gear and weapons as it conducts drills around Taiwan expected to threaten oneself managed island.
Following China's fury at Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States, the three-day show of force began on Saturday.
Here is an overview of Beijing's munititions stockpile:
Over the course of the three days, China has put dozens of planes, including J-16 and J-10C fighter jets, into the airspace around Taiwan.
According to the state-run Global Times, the cutting-edge J-16s built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation can carry both close- and long-range missiles.
According to the defense intelligence company Janes, KJ-500 early warning and surveillance aircraft, which provide 360-degree radar coverage, have also been used in the ongoing operations around Taiwan.
State media have likewise announced the organization of Y-8 enemy of submarine airplane, which has recently been utilized in watches over the East China Ocean.
YJ-12B land-based anti-ship missiles have been used in simulated strikes against Taiwan in what China refers to as the "Joint Sword" drills, which involve People's Liberation Army land forces.
The YJ-12B is poorly described in the public domain. According to the US-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, it is a land-based version of the YJ-12 missile that can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and has a range of 460 kilometers.
This week's exercises also included the short-range conventional ballistic missiles DF-11 and DF-15.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington claims that the more recent DF-15 is capable of "striking Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and northern India from mainland China." Both models date back decades.
China's forces "simulated joint precision strikes" on Taiwan, according to official broadcaster CCTV on Sunday.
China sent destroyers and frigates toward Taiwan over the course of the end of the week, with the Taiwanese protection service on Sunday saying it had distinguished nine Chinese warships around the island.
The Type 052C destroyer and the Type 054A frigate are two examples of these.
According to Naval Technology, a publication for the defense industry, the 054A is made for anti-air combat and comes equipped with HQ-16 medium-range surface-air missiles that can hit aerial targets 50 kilometers away.
Additionally, China sent its Shandong aircraft carrier through Taiwan's southeast waters on its way to the western Pacific on Wednesday, just hours before Tsai met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
Only one of China's two aircraft carriers, the Shandong, was built entirely domestically. In December 2019, it received its commissioning into the PLA Navy.
"The carrier is fully ready for far sea operations and safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity," according to Chinese state media, despite not being officially a part of "Joint Sword."