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Simulation showed reserve forces too weak: official

A military official said yesterday that the results of this year’s Han Kuang computerized war games showed the military should strengthen its reserve forces.

Lieutenant General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), deputy chief of the General Staff for Operations and Planning, told a press conference that this year’s war scenario involved a ground battle with Chinese troops.

The results showed that the country’s reserve forces were insufficient in numbers and not adequately equipped, Chiu said.

Chiu said the first day of the computer exercise simulated a Chinese missile and air attack on Taiwan. Air Force bases and civilian airports and seaports along the west coast suffered serious damage in the attack, so the military swiftly transferred its main forces to the east coast to reserve combat capability.

Chiu said the second day saw the Chinese military launch a naval invasion and air campaign in the Taiwan Strait and the Taiwanese military launched a coordinated anti-landing operation in southern, central and northern Taiwan against the Chinese forces.

But on the third day the Chinese military managed to land troops in Taipei and a ground battle broke out, Chiu said.

He said the military’s forces in the north routed Chinese ground forces around Taipei on days four and five, before moving to central Taiwan to defend the area.

Chiu said the simulated ground battles showed that the country required better reserve forces.

Meanwhile, Chiu said the annual live-fire military exercises would start on Sept. 24.

He said the military would not conduct a preview of the military drill this year and would not invite media and guests to observe the drill because the military was cooperating with the government’s energy-saving policy.

Chiu said this year’s low-profile drill had nothing to do with the recent thaw in cross-strait exchanges.

“Even though relations are warming, we will not relax in our war preparedness,” Chiu told reporters.

He said troops would practice improving effectiveness during the war game.

“We will practice redeploying our troops to avoid heavy casualties during the first wave of mainland missile attacks, which would most likely target our key industries and military establishments,” he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AP
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