China Intensifies Hunt for US and Taiwanese Submarines with Y-8 Patrols
The Chinese anti-submarine warfare emphasis could suggest the PLA understands how crucial US and Taiwanese submarines could be in a warfare scenario over Taiwan
The People’s Liberation Army is massively revving up its sub-hunting operations in waters near Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China.
Sub-Hunting Operations
A Chinese government-backed newspaper called the Global Times, published a report saying that a Chinese Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, The PLA sub-hunting plane entered Taiwan’s air identification zone, flying between the island of Taiwan and the Taiwan administered Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea, the paper said.
The Y-8 patrols were described as a substantial step forward in the realm of submarine hunting for the Chinese military which has primarily deployed ship-based Z-9 and Ka-28 helicopters for submarine warfare missions.
The paper also speculated that the Y-8 patrols could be an effort to demonstrate the effectiveness and operational status of the Y-8, following what the Global Times described as “unconfirmed reports” of a Y-8 accident or crash in the region.
The Global Times newspaper quoted a Chinese military expert explaining the rationale for the Spy-plane patrols.