The navy held an anti-submarine drill in waters off Greater Kaohsiung yesterday to highlight its combat readiness ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The drill, which was open to the media, simulated an emergency in which the navy dispatched frigates from Zuoying (左營) Naval Base to counter a potential submarine attack by enemy forces.
Two retrofitted US-made coastal minehunters were deployed to sweep the area for mines, and two Chengkung-class frigates, one of them with an S-70C marine-patrol helicopter aboard, were also deployed to participate in the drill.
Photo: Toby Chang, Reuters
The high point of the drill came when the helicopter on the frigate and another S-70C at the naval base were dispatched to locate the “enemy” submarine, followed by a Chingchiang-class patrol vessel’s simulated deployment of a depth charge, which is designed to force a submarine to the surface.
That concluded the exercise, which was conducted in waters about 10 nautical miles (18.5km) from the base, the navy said.
The drill was designed to test the navy’s ability to fend off a possible submarine attack by enemy forces through the use of depth charges and other tactics, navy officials said.
The navy had planned to use a real depth charge, but the plan was canceled due to bad weather conditions, the navy said.
Naval officials said the drill was held to highlight the military’s efforts to stay alert and ensure combat readiness ahead of the holiday, which starts on Jan. 30.
Reporters followed the exercise aboard the frigate Dyihuah — one of six Lafayette-class ships purchased from France in the 1990s.
The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
Five customers who made purchases at 7-Eleven stores across Taiwan won the top NT$10 million (US$313,716) special prize in the July-August uniform invoice lottery, including one who spent just NT$27 on photocopying, the convenience store chain said today. The five special prize winners made their purchases at stores in Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, 7-Eleven operator President Chain Store Corp said. The five winning purchases included NT$29 spent on snacks at a store in Taoyuan's Zhongli District (中壢), NT$27 on photocopying at a store in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正), NT$139 on City Cafe coffee and daily necessities at a store in Taipei's
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) reportedly cut short his visit to the National Archives in Washington after the Chinese delegation objected to plans to view the Treaty of San Francisco, sources in Washington’s media circles said. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan (彭麗媛), concluded their three-day state visit to the US on Friday after having tea with US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the White House and visiting the archives. Chinese democracy advocates and members of pro-China groups gathered outside the venue during Xi’s visit, with the two groups exchanging competing slogans while police kept them separated. The US
TRICKY ISSUE: Taiwan’s defense of the ROC in WWII could conflict with the government’s narrative on Taiwanese history and identity, an academic said Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had no standing to discuss US-China relations in World War II (WWII), as the People’s Republic of China did not exist at that time, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said yesterday. Taipei would ensure that Washington has a clear understanding that it was the Republic of China (ROC), not the People’s Republic of China (PRC), that was a steadfast ally of the US in WWII, Shen said. Shen was referring to a White House fact sheet released on Friday about Xi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington. It said that “the two
RSS