The navy put on a show of combat readiness and live fire drills on the third day of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, in the biggest naval drill in 25 years.
Twenty-one ships, marine patrol aircraft and F-16 and F-5 jets took part in the exercises held off the coast of Yilan and Hualien counties, watched by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
A separate drill, involving 67 vessels, was conducted off the southwest coast.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The vessels taking part in the exercise off the east coast included Keelung-class destroyers, Chengkung-class frigates, a Lafayette-class frigate, Knox-class frigates, Kuang Hua VI-class missile boats and a submarine, navy spokesman Vice Admiral Wen Cheng-kuo (聞振國) said.
More than 2,000 navy personnel took part in the exercise, which involved live firing of depth charges, 76mm naval guns, 5-inch guns and other weaponry to fend off attacks by enemy forces, he said.
The maritime drills were meant to simulate intrusion into Taiwan’s waters by Chinese forces, and show that the navy can repel such attacks.
Photo: Courtesy of Huadong Defense Command
Asked how the drill would prepare for the possibility of a conflict in waters around the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), which are claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan —where they are known as the Senkaku Islands — Wen said the ships from the naval bases in Suao (蘇澳), Yilan County, and Keelung (基隆) would engage the enemy.
Ma boarded the Tsoying (左營艦), a 9,525-tonne Keelung-class destroyer at the Suao port.
He watched the drill from aboard the destroyer, which sailed more than 15 nautical miles (28km) offshore for a series of naval maneuvers, and was later joined by other vessels in battle fleet formation.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The Tsoying returned to shore, accompanied by another Keelung-class destroyer, the Makong (馬公艦), and docked in Hualien’s port early in the afternoon.
It was the first time Ma had watched a maritime drill held in waters off Taiwan from aboard a ship since he became president in 2008.
The four-hour drill started with air, surface and submarine attacks by the simulated enemy. The navy responded by deploying various warships to counter the attacks. F-16 jets were used to simulate enemy aircraft and launch a missile attack, which the navy responded to with anti-missile maneuvers.
Photo: AFP
The navy and air force conducted a joint anti-submarine operation, with P-3C aircraft and an S-70C helicopter deployed to identify the enemy submarine and force it to the surface.
The drill marked the first time a P-3C, of which Taiwan took delivery from the US last year, has been used in a Han Kuang drill, Ministry of Defense spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) said.
The Ministry of National Defence bought 12 P-3Cs and the final batch is scheduled to be delivered by the end of next year.
After the submarine maneuver, the navy ships launched a joint attack, firing their guns at a simulated target.
Yesterday’s live fire drill concluded with an F-16 firing an AIM-9P4 Sidewinder missile at the simulated enemy approaching from the sea.
Two more live fire drills are scheduled to be held today in waters off Penghu and at a military training base in Pingtung County.
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