It is the sixth day of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang exercises, and the military is getting ready to conduct coastal defense and anti-landing drills across the country. These drills include deploying sea mines off of southern Taiwan.
00:00We're here in Zouying Naval Base in southern Taiwan where the military is practicing how to quickly deploy sea mines as part of its annual Hangwang exercises, which simulates how Taiwan would defend against an attack from China.
00:14On day six of Taiwan's largest ever military drills, the Navy is showcasing what it calls silent killers.
00:22These sea mines are hidden beneath the surface, designed to destroy enemy vessels that come too close.
00:27The Navy says it's been practicing deploying them since the start of the exercises, preparing for potential wartime use to block enemy access to Taiwan's ports.
00:40All of the mines here were made in Taiwan, part of the military's focus on asymmetric defense, a strategy built around easily deployed weapons that pack a punch.
00:50The strategy counters China's military advantages by exploiting the vulnerabilities of a larger invading force.
00:57Taiwan's president, Lai Qingda, traveled south for the exercises, which were live-streamed for audiences around the world.
01:05Officials here say that while these weapons might not be as flashy as a tank or a missile, they're an important part of the country's defense strategy.
01:12And it's exercises like this that help them practice how to use them in case a conflict breaks out.
01:17Hank Xu and Jaime Okan in Kaohsiung for Taiwan Plus.
