The military's largest annual exercise, called "Hankuang No. 18," began yesterday and is scheduled to continue for a month and a half, defense officials said yesterday.
The exercise, divided into three stages, began yesterday with computer war gaming held at a defense command center known as the Hangshan Command Post. The post is located in Taipei's Tachih district.
The computer war gaming, which is to last for a week, simulates an armed conflict between Taiwan and China in 2005.
With some pride, the military introduced the gaming system to the press at the Ministry of National Defense (MND) last week.
Major General Chao Ching-ho (趙清和), a department chief with the office of deputy chief of the general-staff for operations and planning, said at the press conference that the system was developed indigenously by the military-run Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST).
However, a defense official speaking on condition of anonymity, later refuted the claim, telling the Taipei Times that the gaming system was actually a US product modified at CSIST to suit Taiwan's needs.
"A similar system is still in use in the US. Singapore has also one of the systems. The system has one major drawback -- the combat scenarios it simulates are sometimes unrealistic. A fighting ship in the system, for instance, can move across a mountain, which is possible only in computer games," the official said.
Despite the limited capabilities of the computer gaming system, the military will rely on the results of the simulations to conduct the second and third stages of the Hankuang No. 18 exercise.
Starting April 16, the military will conduct a command post drill in northern Taiwan to test how real the computer simulations generated by the new gaming system actually are.
The command post drill will continue through April 21 and will be followed by a series of troop maneuvers, which are to compose the third stage of the Hankuang exercise.
The maneuvers, to continue until May 20, include elements such as the "Tunghsing No. 14," the "Lienyun No. 66" and the "Lienhsing No. 86" drills.
Tunghsing No. 14, a reserve troop mobilization drill, will feature operations of the newly established reserve brigade.
Lienyun No. 66 is an anti-parachute landing drill, which will be conducted by the army's airborne troops.
The Lienhsing No. 86 will be an anti-amphibious landing drill, which is to be conducted largely by marine troops.
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