A US Navy reconnaissance plane flew through the Taiwan Strait yesterday, days after the nominee to become the next chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff said that under his leadership, the US military would seek more operational bases in the Indo-Pacific region and strive to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.
The Ministry of National Defense said the US aircraft had stuck to the Strait’s median line and flew southward yesterday morning.
The US Navy’s 7th fleet said the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, which is also used for anti-submarine missions, flew through the Strait in international airspace.
Photo: Reuters
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” it said in a statement.
China’s military described the flight as “public hype,” adding that it sent fighters to monitor and warn the US aircraft.
The US flight followed two days of Chinese exercises near Taiwan involving fighters, bombers and warships flying mainly to the nation’s south and out into the Pacific through the Bashi Channel.
Photo: AFP
US Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown Jr said during his confirmation hearing before the US Senate Committee on Armed Services on Tuesday that he would continue to expand the US military’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region, Nikkei Asia reported.
“I’m mindful of the security challenges at this consequential time and the need to accelerate to stay ahead of the growing threat,” he said, referring to China.
He also said that the Pentagon “must implement the national defense strategy and prepare a joint force that can win the next war, if called upon.”
Photo: CNA
“You cannot wait till the crisis occurs to be able to deploy capability,” he added. “You have to preposition capability and have that in place. You have to work with allies and partners to have access to locations.”
Brown said he would prioritize logistics, as the Indo-Pacific region presents more of a challenge in maintaining resupply capabilities, compared with land routes in Europe, the report said.
The confirmation hearing also touched on the issue of granting new authority to the US military to facilitate rapid weapon transfers to Taiwan from US inventories, a move that Brown said would “help [Taiwan] to procure some asymmetric capabilities” for self-defense, the report said.
The general also stressed the value of information gathering and said that the will to fight is a significant factor.
“That’s something that’s hard to measure before a conflict,” but it pays a huge dividend, he said, according to the report.
If confirmed, Brown is to take over from General Mark Milley, who is due to retire in September.
Brown has been a vocal advocate that to respond to crises in the Indo-Pacific region, the US should transition its air forces from large bases to smaller sites spread across the region.
In response to the US Navy’s maneuver, the Chinese military sent 26 aircraft and four naval ships near Taiwan yesterday, with 13 warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.
Ministry data yesterday evening showed that numerous Chinese warplanes were detected throughout the day, including Chengdu J-10, Sukhoi SU-30, Shenyang J-16 and J-11 fighters.
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