The army's Kinmen Defense Command today launched the Taiwu live-fire drills on Kinmen County’s Lieyu Island, just off the coast of China, to test the military's readiness to engage in coastal combat and respond to uncrewed aerial systems.
The command said it carried out the first Taiwu exercise of the year, in which live ammunition was fired toward waters off Donggang.
Lieyu Island is about 5km from Xiamen, China, at its closest point and about 210km from Taiwan’s main island.
Photo: Wu Cheng-ting, Taipei Times
Troops from the Lieyu Garrison Battalion deployed standard-issue weapons to perform drills covering drone response, live-fire defense, near-shore defense and beach combat, as well as final protective fire, the command said.
The live-fire drill simulated realistic combat scenarios in which real equipment and troops were deployed in an environment where situations evolved continuously from “gray zone” threats to enemy landings, it said.
The drills were consistent with training requirements emphasizing "a single-point incident triggering chain reactions and comprehensive responses," the command said.
The drill used a range of standard weapons, including 60mm and 81mm mortars, 105mm howitzers, .50-caliber machine guns and 66mm rockets, to provide cover for armored and combat vehicles engaged in beach defense and protective fire missions, it said.
M41D tanks, CM-21 armored vehicles and CM-23 mortar carriers from the Lieyu Garrison Battalion also maneuvered into firing positions with full equipment and live ammunition, the command said.
The exercise incorporated the Tactical Assault Kit system to enhance command, control and communications resilience, integrating different units in joint operations.
The command did not describe in detail how personnel performed during the drills, saying only that they demonstrated the benefits of routine combat readiness exercises.
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