# Yuan Zhenru

Alarm Bells at Lunar New Year: Inside a PLAAF Quick‑Reaction Scramble over the South China Sea

A Chinese military dispatch describes how PLAAF pilots and support teams maintained round‑the‑clock alert during Lunar New Year, scrambling two J‑16 fighters to deal with an unidentified aerial contact over the South China Sea. The piece underlines system‑wide preparedness—fueling, arming and coordination—and serves both operational and signalling purposes amid a contested regional airspace.