The military yesterday deployed a drone and several vehicles to drop leaflets and broadcast messages in a psychological warfare drill as part of the Han Kuang exercises.
During the drill in Taoyuan, a psychological warfare task force from the Political Warfare Bureau dispatched a drone to scatter leaflets, while trucks broadcast video and audio propaganda to boost the morale of Taiwanese soldiers amid a simulation of an invasion by China.
A military truck blared sound effects of fighter jets flying by, shells dropping and tanks rolling, a strategy to distract and confuse the enemy on the battlefield, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EPA-EFE
Cognitive warfare, disinformation campaigns and rumor-spreading have become a major part of modern warfare, alongside conventional kinetic warfare, the ministry said.
The main purpose of psychological warfare is to counter such campaigns and create fear among the enemy, thus weakening its will to fight, it said.
The bureau’s special task force is capable of creating and broadcasting audio and video propaganda material, and dropping flyers within 30 minutes of receiving an order to do so, the ministry said.
Photo: Ann Wang,
Yesterday’s drill’s were part of the live-fire component of the 38th edition of the annual Han Kuang exercises.
The exercises, which test the country’s combat readiness in the event of a Chinese invasion, began on Monday morning and are to conclude today.
In other Han Kuang drills yesterday, the 99th Marine Brigade held a joint landing operation at a beach in Pingtung County’s Fangshan Township (枋山).
Using boats and amphibious assault vehicles, special troops made a landing at the beach, covered by friendly air and sea forces, the ministry said.
In Miaoli County, reservists undergoing extended training under the 302nd Infantry Brigade simulated fending off an attempted beach landing by enemy forces.
CM34 and CM32 armored vehicles from the 586 Armored Brigade were deployed to repel the “invaders.”
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
RSS