Taiwan's Han Kuang Strives for 'Realistic' Military Drills

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan’s largest-ever Han Kuang military exercises are underway, with fighter jets redeploying to the east and ground forces simulating battlefield rescues to boost realism and readiness. The drills aim to test the military’s ability to respond quickly under pressure and show the public that both the threats and the country’s defense capabilities are real.

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00:00F-16 fighter jets land in Hualien for a quick pit stop. While the engines are hot, ground crews get

00:07to work, quickly refueling the jets and checking its systems. They're scrambling to get some of

00:12Taiwan's most important weapons back into the fight, practicing key skills as part of this

00:17year's Hanguang exercises. As the drills enter their third day, Taiwan's military hopes the

00:22pressure adds to the realism of this year's drills and tests the country's defense. Over the past

00:27two days, Taiwanese fighter jets have redeployed to the country's east, further from the Taiwan

00:31Strait, to this airfield known as Jiasan Air Force Base. Right, it's well documented that there's

00:38a big mountain on the east coast where a lot of aircraft can hide safely for storage in times

00:45of war or crisis. As much as you want to hide the aircraft, at some point they're going to need to

00:51fly. And once they fly, that puts a big sort of bull's eye on a target for the Chinese to strike.

01:00Fast paced and more realistic, this year's exercises are the largest in the country's history.

01:07And while the Air Force drills in the east, units across Taiwan are working on responsiveness.

01:14Here, learning to recapture ground from enemy forces and evacuate wounded.

01:17Days ago, the majority of these soldiers were civilians. The military says they're using

01:33reservists to improve realism. In a war, thousands will be called up to defend the country.

01:37I don't know if they're using the armed forces, but they're using the information.

01:41Actually, they're the most basic weapons of the後背部隊. I think that through this

01:47practice, the people know that the後背部隊 has a lot of weapons. I think that's a good effect.

01:53From air bases in Hualien to the streets of Taiwan's major cities, country ride

01:57Hanguang exercises will continue for another seven days. And by adding pressure and bringing in different

02:03elements, the military hopes to show the public that its defense capabilities and the threats it faces

02:09are both very real. Justin Wu and Jaime Okon for Taiwan Plus.

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