Conflict catalog

2022 Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis: Weapons and Equipment

Taiwan Strait escalation after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's August 2022 visit to Taiwan, including People's Liberation Army drills around Taiwan and Republic of China military readiness activity.

The 2022 Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis followed U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August 2022 and included major People's Liberation Army exercises around Taiwan, repeated air and naval activity near the island, and Republic of China military readiness drills.

This catalog tracks weapon systems directly documented in the 2022 Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis, including drills, readiness activity, and crisis-response fielding connected to the August 2022 escalation.

Entries should distinguish crisis-response exercises and deterrent deployments from combat use.

8 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

People's Republic of China / Republic of China

People's Republic of China

7 weapon systems in this catalog
  • People's Republic of China

Republic of China

1 weapon system in this catalog
  • Republic of China

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
Taiwan Strait and Taiwan's offshore islands
Countries
Taiwan, China
Regions
East Asia, Taiwan Strait
Domains
land, air, maritime, missile exercises, deterrence

The catalog should separate documented readiness drills and deterrent fielding from combat employment. Taiwan-side entries may include systems directly tied to live-fire exercises, counter-amphibious drills, air-defense activity, or other crisis-response operations during the August 2022 escalation.

Map

Taiwan Strait and Taiwan's offshore islands

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. Pelosi arrives in Taiwan

    The crisis escalated around Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the People's Republic of China's military response.

    Sources: CSIS Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis Tracker

  2. Penghu live-fire exercises

    Taiwan's Penghu Defense Command conducted live-fire exercises in which M60A3 tanks carried out counter-amphibious landing operations.

    Sources: CSIS Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis Tracker

Weapons

2022 Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

3/3
Chengdu J-20, Stealth air superiority fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsChengdu J-20Stealth air superiority fighterSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: Crisis-response airpower and deterrence drillsBuilt: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group / ChinaThe Chengdu J-20 is China's twin-engine low-observable fighter built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for the PLAAF. Public sources place its first flight in 2011, official commissioning in 2017, crisis-response drill appearances around Taiwan in 2022, rapid brigade expansion by 2024, and an upgrade path centered on WS-15 engines, larger low-observable missile loads, and the two-seat J-20S.
Xi'an JH-7, Twin-engine fighter-bomber, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsXi'an JH-7Twin-engine fighter-bomberSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: Crisis-response air activityBuilt: Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation / ChinaThe Xi'an JH-7 is a Chinese twin-engine, two-seat fighter-bomber family built for maritime strike and long-range air-to-surface attack. Known as Feibao or Flying Leopard, it was developed by Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation with the 603 Institute, remains represented by active JH-7A variants, and appeared in PLA crisis-response air activity during the 2022 Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis.
Shenyang J-16, Twin-engine, two-seat multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsShenyang J-16Twin-engine, two-seat multirole strike fighterSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: Crisis airspace-pressure fighterBuilt: Shenyang Aircraft Corporation / ChinaThe Shenyang J-16 is a Chinese twin-engine, two-seat multirole strike fighter built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Sourced records link the baseline J-16 and J-16D derivative to PLAAF service growth, South China Sea patrol-aircraft intercepts, and August 2022 Taiwan Strait crisis air activity.

Category

Naval Systems

Warships, submarines, unmanned surface vessels, naval craft, and maritime combat systems.

4/4
Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigate, Chinese guided-missile frigate class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigateChinese guided-missile frigate classSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: UnknownBuilt: Hudong Shipyard / Guangzhou Huangpu Shipyard / People's Republic of ChinaThe Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigate is a Chinese guided-missile frigate class built as the improved Jiangwei follow-on for the People's Liberation Army Navy. Open naval references describe ten ships produced from 1996 to 2005, a CODAD machinery plant, YJ-83 or export anti-ship missiles, HHQ-7 short-range air defense, anti-piracy escort deployments off Somalia, South China Sea shadowing activity, Taiwan Strait presence, and later transfer of two ex-PLAN hulls into Bangladesh Navy service.
Type 052C / Luyang II-class destroyer, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy air-defense destroyer class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 052C / Luyang II-class destroyerChinese People's Liberation Army Navy air-defense destroyer classSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: UnknownBuilt: Jiangnan Shipyard / ChinaThe Type 052C, also known as the Luyang II-class destroyer, is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer class built around area air defense and long-range maritime presence. Public sources describe it as the PLAN's first class to combine a fixed AESA radar, vertically launched HHQ-9 missiles, YJ-62 anti-ship missiles, and a helicopter facility; direct conflict coverage now includes Gulf of Aden escort deployments, a 2018 South China Sea FONOP encounter, and August 2022 Taiwan Strait crisis exercises.
Type 052D / Luyang III-class destroyer, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 052D / Luyang III-class destroyerChinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer classSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: Blockade and area-denial exercise platformBuilt: Jiangnan Shipyard / Dalian Shipyard / ChinaThe Type 052D, also called the Luyang III or Kunming class, is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer family built for area air defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and strike missions. The class pairs Type 346-series phased-array radar with a 64-cell vertical launch system, and later Type 052DL ships stretch the stern aviation area for a larger helicopter while production continues from Jiangnan and Dalian yards.
Type 055 / Renhai-class destroyer, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer or cruiser class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsType 055 / Renhai-class destroyerChinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer or cruiser classSide: People's Republic of ChinaRole: Crisis blockade-exercise surface combatantBuilt: Jiangnan Shipyard / Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company / ChinaThe Type 055, also called the Renhai class, is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer class built as a large multirole surface combatant for carrier escort, surface-action-group command, air defense, and missile strike missions. Public evidence ties the class to the 2022 Taiwan Strait crisis exercises and South China Sea disputed-feature patrols, while open naval references emphasize its 180-meter hull, 112-cell universal vertical launch system, Type 346B sensor fit, and cruiser-like magazine and command capacity.

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

1/1
M60A3 tank, Main battle tank, TanksTanksM60A3 tankMain battle tankSide: Republic of ChinaRole: Counter-amphibious live-fire readinessBuilt: Chrysler Defense; General Dynamics Land Systems / United StatesThe M60A3 is the final major U.S. production upgrade of the M60 main battle tank family, pairing the 105 mm M68E1 gun with laser rangefinding, a solid-state ballistic computer, crosswind sensing, and the later Tank Thermal Sight configuration. The cataloged conflict record covers Egyptian Sinai security deployments, Turkish cross-border use in Syria, and Republic of China crisis-response drills during the 2022 Taiwan Strait escalation.

Conflict Sources

The conflict record uses CSIS event tracking for the August 2022 crisis. Weapon rows should state when evidence documents exercises or deterrent fielding rather than combat firing at opposing forces.

  • CSIS Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis TrackerPublisher: ChinaPower Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports the crisis chronology, PLA activity around Taiwan, and the August 24, 2022 Penghu live-fire exercise involving M60A3 tanks. | Accessed: 2026-07-01