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.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
LEISURE: The new law adds Confucius’ birthday, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou, Constitution Day and Little New Year as national holidays The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed new legislation adding four national holidays and making Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party used their combined majority in the legislature to push the jointly proposed draft through its third and final reading. This new law supersedes the existing regulations for the implementation of memorial days and state holidays, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior. The new law recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25 and “Little New Year,”
RSS