Given the ICAO hex addresses and indicated ground speed I'm of the impression that they're Bayraktar TB2s.

Just got to this. Curiously, this is the standard AEW&C orbit that we’ve been seeing since January of this year. It’s a 25mile radius orbit over nearly the same center point. Notice in your image that the bottom edge of the orbit has a secondary arc orbit suggesting a specific operational intent.

Almost all of their AEW&C flights over land are at 22,625’.

I’d like to see the sole source justification for that decision.

Looks an awful lot (let’s say identical) to an air vehicle that I’m quite familiar with including the embedded antennas in the ‘cheeks’. I’m thinking that they might have just copied the feature not knowing what they were. We’ve seen this before with other aircraft copies.

Thanks much. I’ve been following for 5 years now and they’re always surprising as you say. See my post today for a FR24 peek at their WZ-9 in the air off Hainan Island. 55,800’ 400+ kts!!!

Across the 28 day study period I was unable to positively identify any commercial, civil or civilian aircraft using these air traffic corridors. They appear (to me) to be restricted to Chinese military (PLA) use only.

10/10 -Summary: The USNI reports ‘China’s escalating military demonstrations of force toward Taiwan are “not exercises; they are rehearsals” for forced reunification with the mainland’. Lastly, much thanks to @vcdgf555.bsky.social for the consult and advice.
news.usni.org/2025/02/17/c...

9/10 There were (3) instances of an air vehicle using the callsign GNDTEST (#123456) with a reported altitude of ‘0’ in the Taiwan Strait. These routes are shown in green below. Reported ground speeds varied from 150 to 220 kts. Its unknown what this a/v might be. [DM me with your thoughts on this].

8/10 Flights within the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea were also identified. Most flights remained on the Chinese side of the Median Line. (1) KJ-500 flight (JUN30475) on 2 Feb was identified ~100miles off the southern tip of Taiwan. Another (unknown a/c) was identified ~50miles off Taiwan.

7/10 Open circle end-points on flight paths indicate where a/c first appeared on FR24. Closed circles represent where a/c fell off FR24 coverage. These points can be used to identify other air corridors such as ‘on and off ramps’ where a/c entered/exited the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea.

6/10 Flying at ~26K’ the AESA radar of the KJ-500 has a range of 720km against fighter-sized a/c at ~33K’. Using the center of the East orbit area as the starting point & drawing a circle with a radius of 720km yields the radar range circle shown in purple which envelopes the entire Taiwan ADIZ.

5/10 Uniquely, KJ-500 JUN30475 which appeared to be based out of Jinjiang AB as evidenced by its observed take-offs and climb outs, participated in the West KJ-500 orbit area. Also, uniquely, a/c in the East orbit relieved each other on station to maintain an extended on-station orbit persistence.

4/10 (2) KJ-500 orbit areas (on either side of the N/S Mahuiling Air Base corridor) were identified. KJ-500s in the West orbit were comprised (w/one exception) of a/c from Mahuiling AB. The KJ-500 East orbit represented a composite orbit as it included KJ-500’s from Mahuiling AB as well as others.

3/10 ALL a/c moving west-to-east/east-to-west followed the same air corridor (heading of 226° S/W, 46° N/E at a distance of ~130 miles parallel to Taiwan). A second air corridor used exclusively by KJ-500’s transiting from/to Mahuiling AB (heading 357° N/E, 178° S/W) is also evident.

2/10 During the study period (18) aircraft (a/c) were observed conducting 42 sorties. At least (9) of the 18 a/c were Special Mission types: (5) KJ-500 AEW&C; (3) KQ-200 ASW; and at least (1) Y-8 EW. Of the remaining a/c one was a Y-20A transport. The rest are unknown to me. [DM me if you know].