The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that it would increase the number of reservists called up to its largest annual drills by more than 5,000, in line with its policy to boost the combat readiness of the nation’s reserve force.
Last year’s Tung Hsin mobilization exercise saw the participation of 14,647 reservists and active-duty service members, an increase of 2,032 from a year earlier, Deputy Inspector General Chou Chin-lung (周錦龍) told a news conference.
The number of reservists mobilized for this year’s Tung Hsin exercise would increase further, Chou said.
Photo: CNA
The Tung Hsin exercise is held concurrently with the Han Kuang military exercises to test reservists’ ability to swiftly assemble into a fighting force or provide assistance to police, first responders or civil defense teams.
This year’s Han Kuang exercises are to be held from July 9 to 18, the ministry said.
Hsia Chen-kuo (夏振國), deputy head of the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency’s Mobilization Management Division, said more than 20,000 reservists would be mobilized for the Tung Hsin exercise, meaning there would be at least 5,000 more reservists engaging in the drill this year.
Reservists participating in the drill would be trained to fire pistols and rifles in standing, kneeling and prone positions to help them become familiar with real-world combat scenarios, Hsia said.
The higher number of reservists set to be mobilized in the drill is partly due to an increase in the members of regional reserve brigades, Hsia added.
Increasing the number of reservists participating in the drill is also consistent with the ministry’s policy of “transforming” the reserve force into a more combat-ready branch of the military, Chou said.
Among the ministry’s major policy goals are boosting the joint combat and training capabilities of the army, navy and air force, holding more realistic drills to better approximate battlefield situations, and strengthening cooperation between the armed forces and civilians, Chou said.
Other major goals include achieving autonomy in national defense technologies, building a complete national defense supply chain, expanding international collaborations and exchanges regarding defense affairs, and retaining high-caliber talent in the military, Chou added.
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