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Taiwan shifts focus of annual military exercise to test units’ ability to operate without orders from top
- The annual Han Kuang Exercise will also see a shift away from staging shows for the leadership and scripted drills
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwan’s largest annual military exercise next month will focus on testing troops’ combat readiness when they have lost contact with central command, the island’s defence ministry said on Thursday.
The five-day Han Kuang Exercise will begin on July 22 but the traditional exhibitions that were staged for the island’s leaders and live-fire drills on Taiwan island will be dropped.
Instead the exercises would concentrate on testing operational plans for various defence zones, troops’ performance at night and their ability to respond individually during counterstrikes, the ministry said.
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Admiral Mei Chia-shu, chief of the general staff, told lawmakers on Wednesday that this approach “aims to familiarise all units with real combat environments and simulations in the face of enemy threats”.
He said soldiers from each unit would independently implement the armed forces’ rules of engagement during combat situations where communication with higher command was disrupted or severed.
03:03
Taiwan simulates attack from mainland China as island’s military conscripts begin extended service
Taiwan simulates attack from mainland China as island’s military conscripts begin extended service
A military source explained that this would enable units at all levels to act swiftly without waiting for orders from the top in the event of an attack from the People’s Liberation Army. Commanders would also check that operations complied with the military’s rules of engagement.
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