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Chinese military tests evacuation skills to prepare for possible Taiwan conflict, analysts say
- Drill focuses on transporting wounded soldiers from ‘medium- to long-distance islands’ using helicopters and drones
- Exercise addresses weak link in China’s logistics support capabilities, observers say
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Amber Wangin Beijing
China’s military tested helicopters and drones in the rescue of wounded soldiers from islands in a first-of-its-kind drill carried out by the command responsible for overseeing the Taiwan Strait, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The exercise was conducted by the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command on an unidentified island off the east coast of Zhejiang province, CCTV’s military channel reported on Monday. It is unclear when the exercises took place.
The test, which used helicopters coordinated by land and air forces, focused on speeding up the evacuation of wounded soldiers from “medium- to long-distance islands” in both peace and wartime, the report said.
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Military analysts said the exercise addressed a PLA vulnerability – evacuation skills – and was to prepare for possible military conflicts near coastal islands and in the Taiwan Strait.
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According to the report, a brigade of the Coastal Defence Force under the command took part in the drills. The brigade is stationed on coastal islands to the east of Zhejiang.
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