The latest computerized scenario carried out by the military showed that in a war with China, Taiwan’s military was able to defeat enemy forces after they landed and tried to occupy the country, a local newspaper said yesterday.
The Chinese-language China Times reported that the Han Kuang 27 computerized war games held from July 18 to July 23 showed the military would survive a first strike from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) from the air and sea. In the simulation, after PLA troops landed in the central part of the country, Taiwanese troops surrounded the enemy forces in the Dadu Mountain (大肚山) area near Greater Taichung and annihilated them.
This was the best performance in computerized war games carried out by the military in recent years, the newspaper said.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Under the scenario, which assumed war next year, the PLA launched about 1,000 ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to attack Taiwan’s air force, civilian airports and various military facilities, before sending in ground troops from the sea and air, the newspaper said.
The scenario also had China’s Il-76 airlifters, which carry a number of paratroopers, taking off from airports in Fujian Province with air support from Su-30 aircraft.
Those paratroopers then carried out a successful occupation of Taiwan’s military airports.
Out at sea, a division of PLA landing craft groups would head toward Taiwan, with more than 100,000 soldiers crossing the Taiwan Strait in civilian vessels.
The report said the landing craft groups would pretend to be heading toward northern Taiwan and that the Sixth Army Corps stationed in northern Taiwan would prepare to ward off the enemy. However, the sea troops would suddenly change direction and land in the area near Taichung Harbor and the Dajia River (大甲溪).
PLA troops would occupy Taichung Harbor and Cingcyuangang Air Force Base in Greater Taichung, putting the Taiwanese military at a disadvantage.
However, after the army defeated the small forces landing on northern and southern Taiwan, the Eighth Army Corps succeeded in heading to the Dadu Mountain area and with the mobilization of reserve troops, the military surrounded enemy forces and defeated them.
The report said the key point to winning the war simulation is that after the PLA launched the missile strikes, Taiwan’s air force quickly moved its major fighters into tunnels at Hualien Air Force Base. With air support from fighters and helicopter forces, the army was able to defeat the enemy in the Greater Taichung area in the simulation.
Military spokesman David Lo (羅紹和) said the military would not comment on the news report.
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