Taiwan is demonstrating its ability to respond to Chinese military pressures as Beijing launched the “Justice Mission 2025” joint military exercises around the self-ruled island earlier today. The drills involve live-fire exercises, simulated blockades, and control of key ports and strategic areas, reflecting the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) ongoing efforts to assert dominance over Taiwan’s airspace and maritime approaches.
In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) released footage highlighting its own capabilities to track, monitor, and potentially neutralize PLA assets. The short video, titled “Resilient Taiwan, Steadfast Defense,” showcases a Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16V fighter jet monitoring a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 aircraft, alongside a Navy Cheng Kung-class frigate, the Tian Dan, tracking a PLA Navy (PLAN) Type 054A frigate, the Anyang.
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), the video emphasizes the ROCAF’s ability to silently track enemy aircraft. The F-16V used an AN/AAQ-33 “Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod” to monitor the J-16, obscuring and cropping key parameters to highlight the capability without revealing sensitive operational data. Images released during the PLA’s “Joint Sword–2024A” exercises earlier showed F-16s actively targeting Chinese aircraft while executing complex maneuvers.
Shu Hsiao-huang, an associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, explained that the AN/AAQ-33 is a passive sensor that emits no signals, meaning PLA aircraft may not even realize they are being tracked. Once the target is locked, the F-16V could theoretically engage with an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, providing a significant tactical advantage despite Taiwan’s numerical disadvantage and lack of a fifth-generation stealth fighter.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command announced the “Justice Mission 2025” exercises would take place across five designated sea and air zones surrounding Taiwan, incorporating live-fire drills and simulated blockades. Psychological and cognitive warfare elements are also reportedly part of the drills, aiming to undermine public morale in Taiwan.
To counter these efforts, the MND’s video release serves as both a morale booster and a strategic signal, demonstrating that Taiwan’s air force and navy are capable of responding to PLA maneuvers effectively. Scholar Su Tzu-yun of the National Defense Academy told CNA that the AN/AAQ-33 surpasses older targeting pods like LANTIRN by combining search and targeting functions. It can detect both visible and infrared signals at ranges up to 87 kilometers for air-to-ground missions and 187 kilometers for air-to-air missions. The system allows the F-16V to lock onto PLA aircraft without triggering radar warnings, enabling a silent, potentially decisive engagement.
Taiwan’s F-16V Block 20 fleet represents a modernized upgrade of the original F-16A/B aircraft delivered in the mid-1990s. Under the $4.5 billion Peace Phoenix Rising program launched in 2016, Taiwan upgraded 139 of the original Block 20 airframes to the F-16V (Viper) standard. The upgrade includes Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR-AESA), Link 16 connectivity, helmet-mounted cuing systems, precision GPS navigation, advanced weapons compatibility, upgraded mission computers, high-speed data networks, automatic ground collision avoidance systems, and strengthened landing gear. These enhancements bring Taiwan’s fleet in line with—or in some cases beyond—modern U.S. Air Force F-16s.
The final Viper-upgraded jet was delivered in December 2023, with the first operational wing of F-16Vs commissioned in November 2021. In addition to upgrades, Taiwan has also placed an order for 66 new-build F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin under a roughly $8 billion U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. While these new jets have not yet been delivered, their eventual arrival would further strengthen Taiwan’s air defense and deterrence capabilities.
Meanwhile, the PLA’s J-16 fighter is a heavily modernized derivative of the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, developed from the J-11 series. It integrates advanced Chinese avionics, systems, and weapons, making it a multirole “strike Flanker” comparable to the Su-30MKK/MK2. The PLAAF operates nearly 400 J-16s, which serve as frontline combat aircraft capable of air-to-air missions, precision strikes, electronic warfare, and suppression of enemy air defenses.
The J-16 features AESA radar, a modernized glass cockpit, helmet-mounted displays, and radar-absorbent coatings to reduce its radar cross-section. It is also equipped with electronic countermeasures, missile approach warning systems, and chaff/flare dispensers. Chinese experts regard the J-16 as one of the most capable multirole fighters in the PLA inventory, often comparing it to U.S., Russian, and European counterparts. However, it has not yet been combat-tested, unlike Taiwan’s F-16s, which have operational histories in conflicts worldwide.
The PLA’s “Justice Mission 2025” marks the seventh set of military exercises around Taiwan since former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit in 2022. This iteration is particularly notable as the first following recent developments in the region, including Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments linking a potential Chinese blockade of Taiwan to a “survival-threatening situation” under Japanese law. It also comes shortly after the U.S. approved a historic $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan earlier this month.
Experts emphasize that while the PLA exercises are intended to demonstrate power and test operational readiness, Taiwan’s defensive measures are designed to mitigate both physical and psychological impacts. The release of footage showing F-16Vs and naval assets in action serves as a clear message to Beijing: Taiwan possesses advanced surveillance, targeting, and strike capabilities, even in the absence of fifth-generation stealth aircraft.
Analysts note that the F-16V’s ability to silently track and target PLA aircraft using passive sensors is strategically significant. The combination of modern avionics, precision targeting systems, and upgraded weapons allows Taiwan to exploit vulnerabilities in PLA aircraft while minimizing detection risk. In a high-intensity conflict, such capabilities could allow Taiwan to offset its smaller fleet size and impose disproportionate costs on attacking forces.
China has inducted over 300 J-20 stealth fighters and the newer J-35A into service, representing a qualitative edge in some areas. However, Taiwan’s current force posture, particularly with F-16Vs, enables sophisticated air defense, precision strikes, and networked operations across air and sea domains. The AN/AAQ-33’s electro-optical tracking ensures that the PLAAF may remain unaware of surveillance or targeting activity, giving Taiwan a critical first-mover advantage.
The ongoing exercises are also significant from a regional strategic perspective. Japan, the United States, and other Indo-Pacific powers are closely monitoring PLA activity, assessing potential implications for freedom of navigation and regional stability. Taiwan’s demonstrated ability to counter PLA maneuvers provides reassurance to allies that the island can maintain credible defensive capabilities, while signaling to Beijing that any coercive actions would be met with resistance.
“Justice Mission 2025” highlights the growing tensions across the Taiwan Strait, reflecting both China’s assertiveness and Taiwan’s evolving defensive capabilities. The ROCAF’s F-16Vs, with advanced targeting pods and modernized systems, underscore Taiwan’s commitment to defending its sovereignty. Meanwhile, the PLAN and PLAAF exercises illustrate China’s continued emphasis on regional dominance and deterrence. As both sides demonstrate advanced capabilities, the situation underscores the strategic importance of Taiwan, the role of modern fighter technology, and the delicate balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan’s strategy, combining technological upgrades, passive surveillance, and public signaling through video releases, seeks to deter aggression while maintaining readiness for potential escalation. Observers agree that while the PLA’s numerical advantage is significant, Taiwan’s sophisticated use of its modernized fleet could impose substantial operational challenges and costs on Chinese forces in any confrontation.
