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Ex-US military commander to watch exercises

The former commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Dennis Blair, has arrived in Taipei to watch the Han Kuang No. 22 wargames which are scheduled to take place this week, according to a local media report yesterday.

"This year's Han Kung computer exercise will simulate a cross-strait war breaking out in 2008, with the Chinese military attempting to land [troops] in Taiwan after launching full-scale missile and air attacks on the country," the Chinese-language newspaper the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) reported yesterday.

"The main goal of this year's computer wargames is to test the military's ground combat ability after the military has lost air command," the report said.

The report said the computer simulation will run from tomorrow through Saturday.

The MND declined to confirm the report yesterday.

"Information about the computer wargames will be announced [tomorrow], and I am not able to confirm the media reports now," Ministry of National Defense (MND) Spokesman Rear Admiral Wu Chi-fang (吳季方) told the Taipei Times.

According to a schedule posted on the Legislative Yuan's Web site, members of the legislature's defense committee are scheduled to observe the computer wargames on Wednesday.

According to the Liberty Times report, Blair will lead a US military delegation that will enter the Hengshan Command Compound to observe the exercises.

The report said Blair, who had in the past two years led US delegations to watch MND computer exercises, recommended that the military not conduct any rehearsals or release any scenarios for the exercise in advance, in order to test the military's ability to deal with emergencies.

While last year's computer exercises focused on a simulation of a Chinese missile and air attack on Taiwan, and a simulation of a naval invasion and air attack in the Taiwan Strait, this year's exercise will examine the military's homeland defense, the report said.

The report said the wargames this year would continue to focus on joint operations, and will openly identify the military's shortcomings.

The MND has adopted for its computer exercises a joint theater-level simulation system (JTLS) introduced by the US in 2004 that used sophisticated computer images.

The JTLS system also allows personnel to remotely link up to the nation's main military command, which means they won't all need to gather at the Heng-shan Command during this year's exercise.

Wu yesterday said the results of the computer exercise will be made public at a press conference.
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