Taiwan yesterday conducted this year’s first military exercises at Longsiang Base in Taichung, demonstrating the newly acquired High Mobility Artillery Rocket System’s (HIMARS) ability to provide fire support and deep-strike capabilities.
The scenario simulated an attack on Penghu County, with HIMARS trucks immediately rolling into designated launch areas and firing barrages at the Wangan (望安) and Cimei (七美) islands, simulating the provision of fire support against invading forces.
The HIMARS are supposed to “fire and leave,” which would significantly increase personnel and equipment survivability, a military official said.
Photo: An Rong Xu, Bloomberg
The drill simulated an exercise launched by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command that turned into an assault against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure with the aid of local collaborators.
It began with special combat units reconnoitering the field with tactical close-range rotary-wing uncrewed aerial vehicles, also known as the Capricorn, followed swiftly by special operations units, who acted as the aggressors, landing in the operation zone via UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.
The units attempted to wrest control of the command tower from defending troops by engaging in close-quarters combat.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
A sergeant major surnamed Yu (游) said that his squad was able to carry out its part in the exercises in a high-pressure environment due to rigorous training.
Fire support on the defenders’ side entered in the form of eight-wheeled Cloud Leopard Armored Personnel Vehicles and M60A3 tanks.
Ground-launched versions of the Tian Jian II missiles (Sky Sword) were on standby, simulating the army’s contingency in the event the PLA attempted to complement the sudden assault with WZ-10 helicopters that would support a Type 075 amphibious assault ship.
Photo: An Rong Xu, Bloomberg
The exercise concluded with a final sweep of the contested zone by friendly AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters.
A deputy company commander surnamed Lu (陸) said the HIMARS would be able to significantly increase the army’s capability to provide fire support from a distance.
Aviation 602nd Brigade pilot captain Lan (藍) said that while training was difficult, it gave pilots a better sense of what they were doing and would be able to better defend the country.
Army Command Headquarters said that military personnel would continue to train and remain on guard before and throughout the Lunar New Year period to ensure that the public can enjoy the holiday.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks. Starting at 12:10am today, reporters observed more than a dozen civilian flatbed trailers departing from Taipei Port, each carrying an M1A2T tank covered with black waterproof tarps. Escorted by military vehicles, the convoy traveled via the West Coast Expressway to the Armor Training Command, with police implementing traffic control. The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM-11 Brave Tiger
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
PROVOCATIVE: Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei accused Japan of sending military vessels to deliberately provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait China denounced remarks by Japan and the EU about the South China Sea at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, and accused Tokyo of provocative behavior in the Taiwan Strait and planning military expansion. Ayano Kunimitsu, a Japanese vice foreign minister, told the Council meeting on maritime security that Tokyo was seriously concerned about the situation in the East China and South China seas, and reiterated Japan’s opposition to any attempt to change the “status quo” by force, and obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight. Stavros Lambrinidis, head of the EU delegation to the UN, also highlighted South China Sea
RSS