Republic of China Air Force fighters yesterday took to the skies to intercept a simulated air attack by hostile forces on the second day of the annual live-fire Han Kuang war games.
The aircraft included Indigenous Defense Fighters and Mirage 2000 fighter jets, photographs provided by the Military News Agency showed.
The operations on the ground involved radar vehicles and the Avenger air-defense missile system — a US-made self-propelled surface-to-air weapons platform to defend against cruise missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles and other low-flying aircraft — the Ministry of National Defense’s news service said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
Sirens wailed across Taiwan at 1:30pm, signaling the start of a 30-minute Wan An public air-raid drill, and an alert was sent to mobile phones at the beginning and end of the annual drill.
“This is an exercise simulating a missile attack, but it will not involve traffic controls or dispersal of pedestrians,” the text message read, as the government this year decided not to clear the streets to avoid having people cluster in shelters, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Han Kuang exercises are not open to the media, except tomorrow, when an anti-landing drill is to be held at Jianan Beach in Taichung.
Monday’s exercises involved the launch of Patriot surface-to-air missiles and Sky Bow air-defense missiles to intercept a simulated missile attack on the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
At the Military Police School Linkou Campus, special forces from the military, police and coast guard units conducted a drill to rescue government leaders held hostage by invading forces inside critical government offices.
Fighters based on the west coast flew to the east coast to avoid a simulated missile attack, while armored vehicles took cover in culverts and under bridges.
The exercises are to continue this week.
The computer-simulated tabletop training component of the exercises is scheduled to be held from Sept. 14 to 18.
Starbucks Taiwan’s decision to charge for drink customization, which had been free, has sparked consumer backlash, highlighting the challenge of raising prices without making customers feel they are losing value, experts said. Since Oct. 12, customers who order drinks with less or no ice and ask to have the volume topped up with milk or other liquid have been charged an additional NT$15. Topping off drinks without ice was previously free, and disgruntled customers posted photos on social media showing that iced drinks ordered without ice were only half full if the extra NT$15 was not paid. The posts drew tens of thousands
EXPLANATION: Tsai said he attended events featuring various interviewees to observe them firsthand as part of his interview research Television host Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) last night broke his silence over a controversy surrounding his appearance at a campaign event for Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋), saying he had never supported Taiwan independence. “I have always hoped for friendly cross-strait relations. I have never supported Taiwan independence,” Tsai wrote in a post on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. Tsai, who has hosted television shows in China, attended the opening of Shen’s campaign headquarters on Oct. 4, drawing criticism from Chinese social media users and prompting some Chinese companies to distance themselves from him. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office
Major department stores across Taiwan, including Taipei 101, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Far Eastern SOGO, Breeze and Honhui Plaza, are closed today due to Typhoon Champi, while major supermarkets remain open. Taipei 101 said its shopping mall, observatory and restaurants on higher floors are closed for the day, with future hours to be adjusted based on the storm's status. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has closed all 16 of its branches nationwide, as well as its Taipei Railway Station mall and SKM Park Outlets in Kaohsiung. Far Eastern SOGO said it has closed all of its branches nationwide, including Garden City in Taipei, citing the safety
DOUBLE-CHECK: Mandarin Airlines said that it would adjust its schedule according to weather conditions, while high-speed rail services are to remain undisrupted Airlines, ferry services, railways and national parks announced cancelations and closures yesterday, as Typhoon Champi bore down on Taiwan. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued land warnings for most of Taiwan proper, as Champi is forecast to come closest to the nation today. Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) has canceled all express trains on its western and eastern trunk lines today, while the high-speed rail system would continue to operate normally. For non-reserved TRC services, trains on the Coast Line, Chengzhui Line, Yilan Line and North Link Line are fully suspended. Services between Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as other unsuspended routes, would operate
RSS