The marine corps demonstrated its urban combat skills to the public for the first time via a live television broadcast yesterday.
The show of force took place on a hill in Tsaishan, Kaohsiung, launched as part of the "Tough Guys" exercises involving an elite unit of the marine corps -- the amphibious reconnaissance regiment.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The exercise, based on an amphibious attack scenario, included infiltration of "enemy coast" land by frogmen. Troops also seized houses in an "enemy village."
To add yet more excitement to the performance, the marine corps also arranged pinpoint target shooting, sniper shooting and martial arts performances for the press.
A local cable television station broadcast the entire event nationwide via satellite. It was the first time the "Tough Guys" exercise had been shown to the public via a live broadcast.
The "Tough Guys" exercises were originally designed by the Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) government as part of its overall goal of recovering China by military force. Chiang and foreign ambassadors would review the exercises in person.
The exercises are held several times a year, mainly to test the combat readiness of the marine corps' elite units.
Yesterday's show of force could be misinterpreted as sending a message to China, but a defense official denied the possibility.
"The exercise is routine in nature. Although the urban combat skills accumulated through the exercises were initially intended to be used against China, we do not wish to project our forces into China," the official said.
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