US military plane flies near TaiwanStaff writer, with CNAA US military reconnaissance plane was reported flying close to the nation’s southern airspace yesterday morning, the ninth time US military aircraft have been observed operating near Taiwan this month. A US RC-135U Combat Sent was operating in the South China Sea, according to a flight chart posted on Twitter yesterday by Aircraft Spots, a military tracker. Aircraft Spots charts and government records show that the latest US operation was the ninth since the beginning of this month that a US warplane had been operating near the nation’s airspace. The US plane had its transponder switched on, which exposed the plane to detection by various online aircraft tracking sites, Su added. The move was likely deliberate and intended not only to demonstrate the US military’s muscle in the South China Sea, but also as a form of public diplomacy, Su said.

Source: Taipei Times April 17, 2020 15:56 UTC