The military in August took part in the multilateral exercise “Northern Strike” in Michigan, Japan’s Sankei Shimbun reported on Sunday.
More Taiwanese personnel than last year joined the exercise, the Japanese daily reported.
Former US ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu Joseph Cella in September at a US House of Representatives Committee meeting confirmed that Taiwanese troops were training at the US National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Michigan.
Photo: Taipei Times
Taiwan sent ground forces to participate in the joint exercise led by Michigan’s National Guard, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
The number of attending personnel was more than last year, although the exact number was not specified, it added.
The exercise was held from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17, and more than 6,000 people participated, with more than 1,000 of them from outside the US, it said.
The goal was to enhance instant response and combat capabilities, and the training projects included defense against uncrewed aerial systems, which have increasingly been used in wars, the Sankei Shimbun said.
Former minister of national defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) had said at a legislative session that the government never ceased exchanges with the US.
Both sides learn from each other to gain in-depth understanding of combat techniques, as well as command and control thinking and operations, he said.
In other news, the air force began its annual Tien Lung, or “Sky Dragon,” drills yesterday, following their postponement last week due to Typhoon Kong-rey.
The drills, which aim to test pilots’ air-to-air, air-to-sea and air-to-ground combat skills in the main fighters in the air force’s fleet — F-16Vs, Mirage 2000-5s and Indigenous Defense Fighters — are to run through Friday, a military source said.
The air force yesterday said the first day of exercises would focus on aerial interceptions and the use of its aerial gunnery target system.
The drills would simulate pilots scrambling their aircraft at short notice, identifying and firing missiles at targets, and conducting mock “dogfights” with enemy aircraft, it said.
Other portions of the five-day drills would include dropping practice bombs, launching infrared homing missiles, quickly outfitting aircraft with munitions and a shooting competition for military police, it added.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the meeting next month, Japanese sources said The holding of a Japan-US leaders’ meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China is positive news for Taiwan, former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association representative Hiroyasu Izumi said yesterday. After the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the US next month, where she is to meet with Trump ahead of the US president’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2 for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the
RSS