Chinese Drones Tracked by Taiwanese F-16 Near Taiwan

Around 17 to 18 March 2025, Taiwan's military tracked Chinese military drones operating near the island as part of a wider surge of People's Liberation Army (PLA) air and naval activity. According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND), 59 PLA aircraft (manned and unmanned) and nine PLA Navy vessels were detected in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. on 18 March, with 43 of the sorties crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). At least two balloons were also reported.

Taiwan's Air Force used the electro-optical targeting systems aboard a US-supplied F-16V fighter, supported by a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, to photograph two Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles, identified as a Wing Loong-2 and a Wing Loong-10. Newsweek and The Aviationist reported that this was the first time Taiwanese forces explicitly identified and captured imagery of these specific drone models during such operations, having previously logged types including the BZK-005 and TB-001. The activity followed President Lai Ching-te's description of the PRC as a hostile foreign force, and the ROC Armed Forces responded with combat air patrols, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems.

The episode fits China's sustained gray-zone pressure campaign against Taiwan, in which near-daily ADIZ incursions and periodic large-scale sorties are used to normalize a military presence, wear down Taiwanese readiness, and signal displeasure at Taipei's leadership. The first confirmed identification of Wing Loong-2 and Wing Loong-10 drones in these operations points to incremental escalation in the type and reach of PLA assets deployed. The events are attributed to overt Chinese military activity as reported by Taiwan's MND. The drone tracking is well corroborated; precise flight paths and intent remain a matter of official Taiwanese characterization.