Part 4/8:
As the Taiwanese military attempted to navigate the escalating tension, a P-3C Orion engaged in reconnaissance received an urgent alert—a Chinese aircraft was rapidly descending towards them. As both planes enacted evasive maneuvers, an unforeseen calamity occurred: a high-speed unarmed drone from China collided with the Orion. This catastrophic event resulted in the tragic loss of all 13 crew members aboard, becoming the first casualties in an unfolding conflict that threatened to escalate into a full-scale war in the Pacific.