Hong Kong garrison of People’s Liberation Army launches land-air-sea exercise testing fugitive-hunting capability
- Official video posted online shows joint missions involving patrol combinations and emergency deployments for ‘defence duties’
- Social media post also says local regulations were observed and the Hong Kong government was notified in advance
Troops from the Hong Kong garrison of the People’s Liberation Army have conducted a joint exercise involving ground, air and sea operations to test their capability in tracking down and intercepting fugitives fleeing the city by boat.
The drills included patrol combinations and emergency missions, according to a video posted on the garrison’s official Weibo social media account.
The post stated that special task forces launched sea-land-air exercises involving marine vessels and helicopter searches to “comprehensively test the ability of the Hong Kong garrison in fulfilling defence duties”.
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PLA releases footage of joint air, land and sea exercises in Hong Kong
The 86-second clip showed a fleet of military vehicles departing army barracks and cruising along urban streets and highways. The convoy reached Stonecutters Bridge as two military helicopters also arrived, hovering over the structure.
Armed officers on a speedboat were also seen in the footage giving chase to a “suspicious vessel” and boarding their target for a search, ending in a mock arrest.
Other exercises demonstrated included airlifting injured personnel to a hospital, and helicopter deployment to fight wildfires.
One officer was quoted in the Weibo report as saying: “The sea passages of Hong Kong are relatively narrow. Helicopters followed the ‘suspicious target’ after spotting it and sent us information on its location. The exercise enhanced our ability to perform various military missions.”
