China ‘deploys fleet of fighter jets to airbase near Taiwan after buzzing island nearly 900 times in a year’

CHINA has deployed a fleet of fighter jets to an airbase near Taiwan after buzzing around the island nearly 900 times in a year. More of Beijing’s preferred model of warplane – the J-16D – were spotted at an eastern airbase near the hotly-disputed island in the past week. Kanwa Defence ReviewMore J-16D fighter jets were spotted at an airbase close to Taiwan[/caption] AFPA fighter jet letting off rockets during a celebration ceremony in China[/caption] Satellite images shared by Canada-based Kanwa Defence Review showed the planes – designed for electronic warfare – being housed at an airbase in Jiangxi province. Separate images from January show another airbase – this time in Zhejiang province – being expanded with new hangers and other bits of infrastructure being built. “All the airbases along the southeast coast are being expanded and upgraded to house more fighter jets as more and more large-scale air incursions are in the pipeline,” Andrei Chang, editor of the defence magazine, wrote. “The deployment of 52 aircraft [in the first sortie] on Monday shows the PLA’s (People’s Liberation Army) aviation combat strength. “I expect more types of PLA aircraft will be sent in future, with the biggest sorties involving more than 100 [planes].” The South China Morning Post, which is seen as a mouth piece for the Communist government, quoted a military source in Beijing confirming the aircrafts have been deployed as “part of combat-readiness training”. It comes as China sent a total of 77 warplanes flew into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) – the largest ever incursion by Chinese aircraft – last weekend. And Taiwan’s defence ministry said 52 planes, including nuclear capable bombers, flew into the ADIZ on Monday alone. That brings the total number of flights to more than 815 as of Monday, according to figures seen by the NZ Herald. RISE OF THE MACHINES China is stepping up its harrassment of the island, which it regards part of its territory. The rising superpower has long threatened to use force to bring the island under its control and has carried out regular invasion drills with its military. It even sent out warships to shadow US and UK aircraft carriers in the South China Sea. In fact, China has been ploughing billions into high-tech weaponry such as stealth bombers, hyersonic missiles and even terminator troops. The ‘Carrier Killer’ missile comprises of a rocket that flies to around 25 miles above the earth and then launches a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV). Armed with a warhead, it then travels at 10 times the speed of sound and can be steered onto a target with such accuracy analysts believe only artificial intelligence and computer systems can stop them. China is also developing a new advanced stealth bomber capable of hitting major US bases in the Pacific with nuclear weapons. The 5000-mile range of the Xian H-20 means it is able to strike Guam and other key facilities, making it a “game changer” in the words of one expert. Images revealed in a magazine run by state-owned defence corporation China North Industries Group describes the aircraft a “the god of war in the sky”. Also important are drone. The WZ-8 drone is able to fly at up to five times the speed of sound and is able to spy on US forces at large distances. weiboChina has been developing the H-20 stealth bomber[/caption] APA Chinese state-run paper warned war with the US was drawing ever closer[/caption] China has bene ploughing billion of pounds into building state-of-the-art weaponry We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.