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Military lifts veil over secret drill

The military yesterday released information about an anti-submarine drill which had been staged as part of the annual Han Kuang series of military exercises but had been classified as confidential until yesterday.

The drill was carried out off the Kaohsiung coast on May 14. To maintain confidentiality, the Military News Agency had been the only news agency to be allowed to travel and cover the drill onboard the Kidd-class destroyer Tsoying (DDG-1803), and its reports on the drill had been embargoed until yesterday.

The drill simulated a scenario in which two Kilo-class submarines of the Chinese Navy launched an attack on the Kaohsiung Harbor and the Taiwanese Navy and Air Force launched a defense against the two Chinese submarines.

The Tsoying was commissioned as the flagship as well as the command center during the drill. It led more than 10 other vessels, including Knox-class and Perry-class frigates, Navy anti-submarine aircraft and Air Force jet fighters.

As in the other scenarios which formed part of this year's Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan's forces won the battle against the Chinese submarines and averted the attack on Kaohsiung Harbor.

The Kidd-class destroyer's coordination of a joint defense from the air and the water formed the highlight of the activity.

"Everybody knows that the Kidd-class destroyer can be used as a command platform, but it is more important to test its ability to coordinate three services during a war," said Rear Admiral Tu Cheng-mo (杜承謀), deputy head of the Navy's 124th Fleet.

Tu said that the military felt confident of its ability to take advantage of the Kidd-class destroyer's remarkable warfare management abilities.

"That way, there will be no problem in defending our country in case of a surprise attack," Tu said.
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