Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said she was confident in Taiwan’s air defense capabilities during a visit to an offshore air base on Tuesday, following an island-wide aerial drill simulating a response to a Chinese invasion.

Tsai told troops at Penghu Magong Air Force base that they were facing increased pressure because of provocations from the People’s Liberation Army, but showed “heroic performance” in intercepting Chinese aircraft.

“I have confidence in you. As soldiers of the Republic of China’s air force, how can we let others strut around in our own airspace?” Tsai said, using the formal name of Taiwan.

The Chinese air force flew 37 planes over the Taiwan Strait on Friday and Saturday, a show of force in response to the U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach’s visit to Taiwan. The jets also crossed the sensitive midline of the Taiwan Strait, a move that observers say represented a major escalation.

Taiwan’s air force conducted the surprise drill on Tuesday morning, which tested its response time in the event of a Chinese attack. The drill began around 5:30 a.m. with C-130H transport planes, E-2K airborne early warning aircraft and P-3C anti-submarine aircraft involved.

Four jets from the “Heavenly Colt” Indigenous Defense Fighter squadron also participated in the drill. The squadron is stationed at the base from April to September, and is tasked with early warning and interception missions in the Taiwan Strait.

Tsai inspected the “Heavenly Colt” IDF squadron during her visit, and noted that the squadron is on duty around the clock and can be mobilized within five minutes.

Taiwan news outlet Liberty Times reported on Tuesday that a suspected Chinese bomber plane took a turn towards eastern Taiwan at around 7 a.m., and came close to Orchid Island off the coast of Taiwan. Taiwan’s air force broadcast warnings for the plane to leave, the report said.

The Liberty Times report has not yet been confirmed by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play