US military surveillance in South China Sea scaled back after spike in tensions across Taiwan Strait

Beijing-based think tank says US military conducted just over half as many surveillance missions in September compared with August

Fewer missions could signal Washington needs Beijing’s help elsewhere, expert says

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Far fewer US surveillance missions were flown over the South China Sea in September compared with August, according to a Beijing-based think tank.
Photo: US Navy/Boeing Aircraft/AFP

Published: 11:00pm, 5 Oct 2022Updated: 11:51pm, 5 Oct 2022

The number of US surveillance sorties in September decreased by around half compared with August, according to the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing-based think tank.

Monthly records from the SCSPI show that land-based US reconnaissance aircraft made 28 sorties during September, down from 46 in August, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

The think tank used ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) technology to track the planes based on broadcasts from their electronic equipment.

Pelosi was the most senior US official to visi the self-ruled island since former speaker Newt Gingrich travelled to Taipei in 1997.

Several days of Chinese military drills encircling the island and ballistic missile launches after Pelosi’s visit prompted US countermeasures that included positioning the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group closer to Taiwan.

August 5 saw the highest number of US sorties of the month – a day after China test-fired 11 missiles. Four surveillance aircraft, including three P-8As and one RC-135V, were deployed, according to the SCSPI.