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PLA fighter jet sorties near Taiwan fall to a three-year low in 1H 2026
In the first half of 2026, the number of days Taiwan detected no PLA jets rose to a new high, and China did not hold large-scale drills around the island for the first time since 2022.
South China Morning Post reports that in the first half of 2026, the number of People’s Liberation Army fighter jets detected near Taiwan more than halved year on year to 1,334, the lowest operational tempo since 2023.
The outlet also cites Taiwan defence ministry data showing the number of days when no PLA jets were detected hit a new high, while the PLA did not stage any large-scale drills around the island for the first time since 2022.
The report notes that prior large-scale drills set new norms, with mainland China sending fighter jets and later vessels near Taiwan on an almost daily basis.