Taiwan kicks off annual military drills to counter a potential Chinese attack
The 10-day exercise mobilizes more than 20,000 troops and reservists as Taiwan tests wartime command, communications and resilience under Chinese pressure.
- On Wednesday, Taiwan launched its 10-day annual Han Kuang military exercise to test commanders' ability to respond to unexpected enemy movements, while temporarily restricting mobile internet access for the first time.
- Military officials designed this year's exercise to move away from staged environments, decentralizing command so battlefield officers can make operational decisions independently without waiting for orders from Taipei.
- The drills mobilize more than 20,000 troops, including about 5,000 reservists, while authorities slowed mobile internet for 30 minutes to test civilian communication resilience during air raid drills.
- President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan will "upgrade our national defence and build whole-of-society defence and resilience," while introducing an "embedded reporter" mechanism to counter enemy disinformation during wartime.
- Parliament slashed a $25 billion special defence budget in May, removing around $15 billion for drone procurement, complicating Lai's goal to increase spending to five percent of GDP by 2030.
98 Articles
98 Articles
China has increased military pressure on Taiwan in recent years and the island now regularly holds military exercises. SVT has followed one of them. – Personally, I believe that we are seriously threatened. This is not least noticeable in China's extensive military exercises outside our waters, says engineer Lee An-Pang.
Taiwan’s annual military drills focus on civilian resilience as ‘window’ for Chinese invasion closes
Taiwan's annual military drills are focusing heavily on the resilience of the civilian population, as the predicted "window" for a communist Chinese invasion of the democratic island closes.
The exercises will test new methods of communication inspired by American practices. This method aims to increase the autonomy and decision-making capacity of front-line units.
Jyllands-Posten
Kristeligt DagbladA major military exercise launched on Wednesday is intended to prepare Taiwan for war. At the same time, China is building replicas of American and Taiwanese targets for training.
VIDEO - The great annual military rehearsal began Wednesday, August 5 in Taiwan. Through life-size exercises, the island is preparing for a possible Chinese invasion.
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