The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Friday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities.
China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Beijing’s actions, including large-scale drills near Taiwan proper, have seriously undermined regional peace and stability, it added.
To counter such threats, the armed forces have been modernizing their equipment, increasing domestic weapons production, and enhancing training and combat readiness, it said.
This month’s exercise schedule also includes the army’s “Lu Sheng No. 1” (陸勝, “Land Victory”) exercise from Oct. 25 to 31 and the air force’s “Tien Lung” (天龍, “Sky Dragon”) exercise from Oct. 27 to 31, the ministry said.
The Hai Chiang exercise, the navy’s annual readiness assessment, would test a wide range of operational capabilities, including joint interception, damage control, onboard firefighting, tactical formation maneuvers, aerial replenishment and live-fire missions, it said.
A notable feature this year is the participation of Coast Guard Administration (CGA) vessels, which would be integrated into the navy’s command structure during the exercise to test wartime protocols for the coast guard’s transition between peacetime and combat operations, the ministry said.
However, the CGA vessels would not take part in live-fire drills, it added.
The CGA’s 600-tonne Anping-class patrol vessels — based on the navy’s Tuo Chiang-class corvette design — were built with dual-use capabilities. In addition to Zhenhai rocket launchers, the ships have space and wiring reserved for the installation of Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles, allowing the navy to rearm them for combat missions during wartime.
The vessels would be placed under the navy’s command in the event of a conflict, it said.
The navy and the coast guard jointly plan their training schedules, the ministry said, adding that in 2022, an Anping-class patrol vessel successfully launched a Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile, hitting its target and demonstrating its wartime conversion capability.
Naval notices issued to the Fisheries Agency and the Maritime and Port Bureau showed that live-fire exercises are to be conducted in four designated sea areas throughout this month.
The navy plans to hold gunnery drills three to five times per week during daylight hours, with target zones in the south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, the notices said.
Target distances would range between 305m and 7,620m, the notices said.
One part of the Hai Chiang drill is scheduled for today from 10am to 4pm in waters west of Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, during which a P-3C and an S-70C helicopter would conduct simulated anti-submarine warfare maneuvers at altitudes below 1.2km, the navy said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS