22nd June 2026 – (Taipei) Taiwan’s armed forces began a five‑day “immediate combat readiness” exercise on Monday, running from 22nd to 26th June, as the defence ministry reported renewed activity by mainland Chinese military aircraft near the island.
According to the ministry, 19 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were detected from 8.10am on Sunday operating in Taiwan’s south‑western airspace and conducting long‑range missions into the western Pacific. A further update on Monday stated that 23 PLA aircraft had been tracked between 6am Monday and 6am Tuesday, with 20 of them crossing the median line and entering airspace to the north and south‑west of Taiwan. The military said it had closely monitored the movements using joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
Officials described the current drill as part of the military’s annual joint operations training programme. The exercise is designed to strengthen rapid response capabilities under conditions of heightened readiness and enhance overall defensive effectiveness.
The ministry said the manoeuvres focus on improving joint operational command and control, enabling units at all levels to become familiar with combat procedures and battlefield conditions during mobilisation. Troops are being trained to transition swiftly from peacetime to wartime footing and to prioritise rapid deployment tasks.
The exercise is being conducted under what the ministry called a “real‑time, real‑troop, real‑equipment” framework, aimed at refining command structures and reinforcing practical combat proficiency across the services.