Chinese J-10 fighters deployed to airfields closer to Taiwan

26 November 2012 pacificsentinel

China's People's Liberation Army Air Force's advanced J-10 fighters have been deployed to the new Shuimen Air Base in southeastern Fujian province, reports Duowei News, a US-based outlet operated by overseas Chinese.

Canada's Kanwa Defense Review, an online magazine covering East Asian security, stated that according to satellite images the construction of the Shuimen air field began in 2009. This new air base is only 320 kilometers from Taiwan and 380km from the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands claimed by Taipei, Beijing and Tokyo. Taking off from Shuimen, the J-10 will be able to reach the Diaoyutai in just 12 minutes. The J-10s are apparently attached to the 9th Air Division of the PLAAF.

Read the full story at Want China Times