Drills conducted on the seventh day of this year’s Han Kuang exercises demonstrate that the military is expanding plans to destroy enemy forces on the beaches by incorporating strategic depth by drawing them into pre-positioned firing lines, Taipei-based Association of Strategic Foresight researcher Chieh Chung (揭仲) said yesterday.
The Second Combined Arms Battalion (CAB) of the army’s 269th Mechanized Infantry Brigade conducted a defensive exercise simulating an enemy amphibious landing at the Port of Taipei in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里), aiming to secure key strategic positions.
The exercise was in line with military strategy for defensive infantry to pin invading forces on the beachhead, while CABs provide mobile fire support, Chieh said.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
The use of drones for battlefield surveillance enabled CAB commanders to maintain situational awareness along the front line and coordinate a controlled fallback with supporting fire from friendly forces, he said.
This fallback maneuver should not be interpreted as a retreat, but as a tactical movement designed to draw enemy forces into pre-designated kill zones, where they would be exposed to concentrated artillery fire, Chen said.
Military affairs commentator Eric Shih (施孝瑋) said the high mobility of the BGM-71 TOW 2B missile system — mounted on M1167 high Mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) — made it an effective and rapidly deployable asset to slow down enemy advances.
The missile’s top-attack capability was particularly effective against the simulated Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) armored units attempting to gain a foothold, compensating for a lack of functionality and firepower of Taiwan’s domestically produced armored vehicles, Shih said.
Speaking yesterday with the Voice of Han Broadcasting Network, which is affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense (MND), retired major general Kuo Li-sheng (郭力升) said that one must be prepared to fight to the death and fiercely resist any attempts by invaders to occupy the country.
Such readiness is non-negotiable, he added.
All civilian actions should be carried out with support for military operations in mind, enabling the armed forces to fulfill their duties effectively and preventing enemy forces from gaining strength by seizing Taiwanese supplies and resources, Kuo said.
Commenting on this year’s Han Kuang exercises — which emphasize military-civilian cooperation and societal resilience — he said that civilians should prioritize their own safety to avoid forcing the military to divert forces for rescue operations.
Additional reporting by Lery Hiciano, staff writer
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