Taiwan will begin its annual military drills on Wednesday, featuring the HIMARS system for the first time, to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion.
Troops will be deployed alongside the largest-ever mobilization of reservists during the July 9-18 exercises, called “Han Kuang,” which is being held concurrently with civilian defense drills.
Taiwanese people face the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims the island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.
Chinese military pressure on Taiwan has intensified in recent years, with Beijing deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis.
Taiwan has responded by ramping up defense spending and acquiring smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against its more powerful foe.
Taipei is eager to demonstrate to the world, especially its key security backer, Washington, that it is serious about enhancing its military capabilities.
The drills will “let the international community know that we are determined to defend ourselves and to pass on to China that the nation’s military has the confidence and ability to defend a free and democratic life,” Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo said recently.
This year’s drills have been extended to 10 days and nine nights, compared with five days and four nights last year.
As many as 22,000 reservists will participate in the longest-ever Han Kuang exercise, which has been held annually since 1984 when the island was still under martial law.
The reservists called up will undergo a full 14-day training program, 10 days of which will be dedicated to participation in the drills.
Troops will simulate various scenarios, including “grey zone harassment” — tactics that fall short of an act of war — as well as “long-range precision strikes” to combat a potential Chinese invasion in 2027, defense officials have said.
Officials in the United States — Taipei’s biggest arms supplier — have previously cited 2027 as a possible timeline for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Recently delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States will be used during the drills.
There will also be a separate live-fire event involving US-made, advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks.
The exercises are being held as President Lai Ching-te, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and is detested by Beijing, tours the island delivering speeches aimed at “uniting the country”.
China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office last year, as the self-ruled island rejects China’s sovereignty stance.
China specialists at the risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing is “likely” to conduct additional military exercises at the end of July.
“A military exercise involving live fire or a prolonged exercise that lasts for a week is likely the most escalatory possible response from China, though much will depend on the content of Lai’s remaining speeches,” they said in a recent note.
© Agence France-Presse
