Retired US general Robert B. Abrams reportedly served as adviser to Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) during the Ministry of National Defense’s computer-simulated war games in the buildup to this year’s 41st annual Han Kuang military exercises, local media reported yesterday.
For 14 days and 13 nights starting on April 5 and ending yesterday, the armed forces conducted the computer-simulated war games component of the Han Kuang exercises, utilizing the joint theater-level simulation system (JTLS).
Using the JTLS, the exercise simulated a continuous 24-hour confrontation based on scenarios such as “gray zone” incursions and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) transitioning from an exercise to an actual full-scale invasion.
Photo: AP
Abrams, a former four-star general who served as commander of US forces in South Korea, was present at the military exercises, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported, adding that he served as an observer and senior adviser to Mei.
In response to media queries for confirmation, the ministry yesterday said only that military exchanges between Taiwan and the US are proceeding normally and that the ministry would not comment on individual cases.
When reached for comment, Chieh Chung (揭仲), a research fellow at the Association of Strategic Foresight, said that a senior US general serving as an adviser during an exercise indicates that military exchanges between Taiwan and the US have been upgraded to the point where both sides have started to coordinate plans.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Military News Agency
Institute for National Defense and Security Research research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said that in the past, US representatives have participated in the Han Kuang exercises as observers, playing a neutral role within the war simulation and offering suggestions during the review, but this time, the US directly advised the commander of the defending force, symbolizing its joint participation in defending against China, emphasizing that this has far-reaching implications.
In related news, 38 out of 108 M1A2T tanks purchased from the US arrived in Taiwan at the end of last year and would be put into service in the second half of this year after passing various tests.
Military personnel yesterday said that US representatives would be invited to attend the commissioning ceremony of Taiwan’s first M1A2T tank.
There is also a possibility of inviting descendants of famed US army general Creighton Williams Abrams Jr to Taiwan for the event, they said.
The A in M1A stands for Abrams, named for the famous general, whose third son is Robert B. Abrams.
Additional reporting by Huang Chin-hsuan and Lo Tien-pin
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS