Taiwan’s military showcased its urban terrain operational capabilities yesterday in exercises at a mock town inside an infantry training center in Kaohsiung.
In the drill, platoons from the 586th Armored Brigade and the 333rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade conducted “red-blue” exercises, with red playing the role of an invading force and blue on defense.
The exercise took place in a 6,599m2 compound inside the Army Infantry Training Command in Fengshan District (鳳山).
Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EPA-EFE
The soldiers wore multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES) from the US.
The system uses lasers and blank cartridges for training purposes.
Aside from the troops, each side also mobilized one CM32 and one CM33 armored vehicle, and two other eight-wheeled vehicles.
The mock town — built to allow simulations of military operations in urban terrain — has 26 buildings.
The area has neighborhoods and alleys similar to those in Taiwan.
Urban terrain operations are known for their fast-tempo, short-range and high-pressure environments, and the mock town features rows of gray buildings designed to help soldiers develop skills for real-world situations, the army said.
The mock town, which was built decades ago, is regularly upgraded to mimic up-to-date urban environments.
It allows infantry soldiers to hone the skills needed for house-to-house and street-by-street fighting in towns and cities, the army said.
The MILES system was developed to facilitate battle simulation, it said.
Soldiers have laser sensors on their uniforms and weapons, which detect when they have been illuminated by a laser from a mock weapon in the system.
The data from an exercise allows commanders to conduct reviews and make adjustments immediately after each drill, the army said.
Since November 2019, 36 infantry platoons have conducted urban terrain operations at the mock town, with each session lasting two weeks, it said.
Yesterday’s drill was part of a three-day public demonstration that began on Wednesday.
Members of the media were allowed to observe the demonstration, which aims to showcase Taiwan’s combat readiness.
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