Thread by @vcdgf555

Here comes the fuzz.

USAF RC-135W Rivet Joint SIGINT 62-4131 #AE01CC
USAF KC-135R tanker 60-0339 #AE0483
USN EP-3E Aries II SIGINT 159893 #AE1D95
USN MQ-4C Triton UAV 168460 #AE5C74

More surveillance.

MILKY76 is USAF 🇺🇸 E-8C J-STARS 99-0006 #AE1497

Something I noticed earlier... the 2 leading Taiwanese Radarbox stations are virtually unusable today.

Probably just a coincidence.

PLA eyes up.

PLAAF 🇨🇳 Y-8G (GX3) ECM 30518 #7A4262 pinging via Mode-S within range of Kinmen County station, Taiwan 🇹🇼.

Over Miyako Strait.

🇺🇸 USN P-8A ASW #AE6848 (h/t @CCCDSLR)
🇺🇸 USAF KC-135R tanker 63-8022 #AE0162

Another Poseidon passing Miyako Strait.

🇺🇸 USN P-8A ASW #AE6857

French Navy 🇫🇷 maritime recon aircraft, outbound Okinawa for the Yellow Sea.

FNY5433 is Dassault Falcon (Mystere) 20G no. 80 #3B9BB5

PLAAF 🇨🇳 Y-8G (GX3) ECM 30518 #7A4262 now solidly in the Taiwan 🇹🇼 ADIZ as a fresh US tanker arrives through the Luzon Strait.

🇺🇸 PEARL56 is USAF KC-135R tanker 59-1521 #AE0598

Taiwanese Air Force 🇹🇼 P-3C 3306 #899005, outbound Pingtung AB, Taiwan. It is part of RoCAF 6th Tactical Mixed Wing.

AWACS passing Jeju, South Korea currently.

🇺🇸 RONIN23 is E-3B Sentry AEW&C 75-0560 #AE11DA

Royal Australian Air Force 🇦🇺 ASW aircraft airborne out of Singapore 🇸🇬, heading north and east toward the South China Sea.

ASY208 is P-8 Poseidon A47-009 #7CF9D3

Usually only see these with their "Pilsung" callsigns here. USAF Warthog over South Korea 🇰🇷.

🇺🇸 A10C0153 is A-10C 80-0153 #AE195F

A new pairing!

PLA Ground Force 🇨🇳 callsign for hex code #7BE04E, pinging Kinmen County station, Taiwan 🇹🇼.

LH993766 would be an Mi-171 from 73rd Army Aviation Brigade out of Luocheng/Hu'ian, Fujian.

Updated positions of (00000) USN 🇺🇸 EP-3E Aries II SIGINT 159893 #AE1D95 & PLAAF 🇨🇳 Y-8G (GX3) ECM 30518 #7A4262. At their closest, maybe 30km separated the two.

I think they notice each other.

For those who don't know, the Y-8G (GX3) is an electronic countermeasures aircraft (ECM) with what is believed to be a long-range standoff jamming array in the housing that look like protruding cheeks.

If it is a jammer, I don't know how effective it would be in close range.

The EP-3E, on the other hand, is a Multi-Intelligence recon aircraft. It provides near real-time SIGINT & video intel for fleet or theater commanders worldwide. It collects & disseminates data for threat assessment & battle space situational awareness, DEAD/SEAD, AAW, ASW & more.

EP-3E retiring from the area via Luzon Strait. RC-135W 62-4131 not far behind.

PLA aircraft no longer visible and likely also retiring.

@threadreaderapp
please kindly unroll