The live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang exercises began yesterday on Taiwan proper with all the branches of the armed forces working to repel a simulated Chinese attack in a test of the military’s combat and defense capabilities.
The 33rd Han Kuang drills have been divided into two parts: computer-simulated war games and live-fire exercises. The war games began on May 1 and concluded on May 5.
The live-fire drills are to take place through Friday and involve the army, navy and air force to test their coordinated response to simulated assaults by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Photo: courtesy of the Military News Agency
This year’s exercises feature multi-directional attacks by the PLA launched from air and sea.
The Republic of China Marine Corps is to act as PLA forces in a simulated amphibious attack, using a fleet of amphibious assault ships and landing crafts, while artillery and mortar units are deployed to fend off the “attacking forces.”
The army is to use its attack helicopters, M60A3 tanks and Thunderbolt-2000 rocket artillery to repel landing troops.
One of the live-fire drills, scheduled for Thursday in Penghu County , is to simulate a scenario in which the PLA launches an amphibious landing in the archipelago. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is expected to observe the drill.
A drill scheduled for Friday is to see the military fend off an attack by the “PLA air force” on Chingchuankang (清泉崗) Air Base in Taichung. Some of the nation’s most advanced weapons systems are to be deployed as part of the drill to protect the base, including Mirage 2000 jets, which are to take off from Hsinchu Air Base, Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) from Tainan Air Base and F-16s from Chiashan (佳山) Air Base in Hualien County.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Administration is scheduled to hold a drill on Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島), the largest island in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), tomorrow through Friday to test its defenses.
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