Troops stationed on Penghu Islands early yesterday held an anti-landing drill featuring US-made Stinger and Javelin missile defense systems as part of the ongoing Han Kuang exercises.
Army Penghu Defense Command troops fired from the Dual Mount Stinger, a tripod-mounted launch platform for the Stinger missile, and used Javelin portable anti-tank missiles during the drill held on the beachfront.
Soldiers also fired a 155m cannon, 105mm guns and 120mm mortars during the hour-long drill. This served as covering fire to protect troops as M60A3 tanks and CM-21 armored vehicles advanced on the battlefield.
Photo: AP / Military News Agency
The drill was also supposed to include air force jets and naval vessels, but they were canceled due to an approaching typhoon.
Similar live-fire exercises were also held on the Matsu Islands.
Meanwhile, live-fire exercises were canceled in Kinmen, less than 10km from mainland China, as more than 30 merchant vessels were heading to Liaoluo Port (料羅港) so they could anchor and shelter from the typhoon.
Photo: AP / Ministry of National Defense
Major General Cheng Chieh-yuan (鄭傑元), a spokesman for the Kinmen Defense Command, said the exercises were called off due to the vessels being in the target area.
Yesterday was the third day of the five-day around-the-clock live-fire component of the 40th Han Kuang series of exercises that began on Monday.
Due to the approaching Typhoon Gaemi, which was forecast to bring heavy rain and strong winds to almost all of Taiwan yesterday and today, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that all exercises scheduled for the remaining days would be canceled to focus on typhoon disaster preparation.
Photo: AP / Military News Agency / Ministry of National Defense
Instead of holding ground drills, troops would hold tabletop war games, the ministry said.
The annual Han Kuang exercises, which have served as Taiwan’s major war games since 1984, consist of live-fire drills and computerized war games, and seek to test Taiwan’s combat readiness in the face of a possible Chinese invasion.
This year’s tabletop exercises were staged in April.
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