Last updated October 9, 2026, with the 6 a.m. Taipei report. Data: Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND). Compiled and checked by Peter’s World.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported 234 PLA aircraft sorties around Taiwan in September 2026, 129 of which crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, along with 210 PLA Navy and 112 official-ship sightings. The busiest day since Aug. 28 was Sept. 18, with 28 sorties. Over the last seven reports (Oct. 3 to Oct. 9) the daily average was 3.4 aircraft and 6.7 PLA Navy ships.
Monthly totals
| Period | Daily reports | PLA aircraft sorties | Median-line crossings | PLA Navy ships | Official ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28–31 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 28 | 21 |
| September | 30 | 234 | 129 | 210 | 112 |
| Oct. 1–9 | 9 | 53 | 20 | 61 | 51 |
Daily counts, newest first
| Report date (6 a.m. Taipei) | PLA aircraft sorties | Crossed median line | PLA Navy ships | Official ships | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | MND |
| Oct. 8 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | MND |
| Oct. 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 1 | MND |
| Oct. 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | MND |
| Oct. 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | MND |
| Oct. 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | MND |
| Oct. 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 7 | MND |
| Oct. 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 8 | MND |
| Oct. 1 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 7 | MND |
| Sept. 30 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 6 | MND |
| Sept. 29 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | MND |
| Sept. 28 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | MND |
| Sept. 27 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | MND |
| Sept. 26 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | MND |
| Sept. 25 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | MND |
| Sept. 24 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 6 | MND |
| Sept. 23 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | MND |
| Sept. 22 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | MND |
| Sept. 21 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | MND |
| Sept. 20 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 6 | MND |
| Sept. 19 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 3 | MND |
| Sept. 18 | 28 | 24 | 7 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 17 | 19 | 17 | 8 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 16 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 15 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 14 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 13 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 12 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 11 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 2 | MND |
| Sept. 10 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 1 | MND |
| Sept. 9 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 3 | MND |
| Sept. 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 4 | MND |
| Sept. 7 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 4 | MND |
| Sept. 6 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 5 | MND |
| Sept. 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | MND |
| Sept. 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | MND |
| Sept. 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | MND |
| Sept. 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | MND |
| Sept. 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | MND |
| Aug. 31 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | MND |
| Aug. 30 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | MND |
| Aug. 29 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | MND |
| Aug. 28 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | MND |
Download the data (CSV). Free to use with credit to Peter’s World and a link to this page.
How to read these numbers
- Each row is one MND report covering the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Taipei time on that date.
- Sorties are flights detected around Taiwan, not distinct aircraft.
- Median-line crossings count sorties the MND says crossed the median line, the informal center line of the Taiwan Strait.
- Official ships are Chinese government vessels such as coast guard ships, listed separately from PLA Navy warships.
- Joint combat readiness patrols and other large drills are often announced in separate MND notices. See the Taiwan-China hub and the September roundup.
Sources
- Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, “PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan,” daily releases Aug. 28 to Oct. 9, 2026, linked row by row above.
