Latest news with #41stHanKuang
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Weapons Systems Feature in Taiwan Defense Drills Against China Invasion
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Taiwan's largest annual military exercise will showcase newly acquired U.S.-made tanks and missile systems that one analyst told Newsweek will make any invasion attempt by China more costly. The hardware will feature in the live-fire component of the Han Kuang exercise, which began Wednesday and will run for a record 10 days—double the usual length—with an additional 7,000 reservists called up to test their combat readiness. Newsweek reached out to the Taiwanese Defense Ministry and Chinese Foreign Ministry via written requests for response. Why It Matters The 41st Han Kuang exercise is being held against the backdrop of rising tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring it into the fold—by force, if necessary. China's military has ramped up pressure on Taipei, flying near-daily warplane sorties across the median line of the Taiwan Strait—long a de facto boundary between the two neighbors. China has further increased the pressure by staging multiple large-scale drills since the May 24 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party, whom Beijing considers a "separatist." The U.S. is the island's primary arms supplier, though Washington has carefully maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would come to the island's defense. Taiwanese reservists participate in pre-combat training on the first day of the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Miaoli on July 9, 2025. Taiwanese reservists participate in pre-combat training on the first day of the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Miaoli on July 9, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Wednesday's drills featured simulated Chinese coast guard and paramilitary vessels carrying out gray zone operations—coercive actions that stop short of outright war—according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. Han Kuang participants will for the first time train with the newly commissioned HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) alongside domestically produced ground, anti-air and anti-ship missiles. Taiwan acquired the first 11 of 29 ordered HIMARS launchers from the U.S. in November. The precision-guided artillery system has already demonstrated its effectiveness in Ukraine's defense against Russian forces. The wheeled launcher is capable of firing three types of munitions, delivering devastating strikes at ranges from 40 to 186 miles. Also making their debut are Taiwan's TOW 2B anti-tank missiles. All 1,700 of the missiles Taiwan ordered arrived at the end of last year following a two-year delay due to the munitions not initially passing U.S. Army inspection. Another major addition, Taiwan's new U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams tanks, will take part in a live-fire drill on Thursday. This event is separate from the Han Kuang exercise, as the tanks have not yet been officially commissioned into the army, according to the defense ministry. Taiwan earmarked $1.45 billion to purchase 108 of the Abrams tanks, taking delivery of the first batch of 38 in December. The remaining 70 are expected later this year and in 2026. Shu Hsiao-hung, associate research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Newsweek that the HIMARS and Abrams tanks in particular will enhance Taiwan's capabilities. "Their mobility, accuracy, and firepower are all several times greater than those of Taiwan's existing weaponry," he said. On Tuesday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin accused the Democratic Progressive Party-led government of attempting to "tie the Taiwan people to the chariot of Taiwan independence." This would be a "dead end" that would lead to Taiwan's destruction, the official said, vowing that those efforts "will not be able to stop the general historical trend of the inevitable reunification of the motherland." What People Have Said Shu Hsiao-hung, associate research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Newsweek: "With [the HIMARS and Abrams tanks], the Taiwanese military can strike potential PLA landing forces from greater distances and with more precise firepower, gradually wearing down enemy troops and deploying in dispersed positions to avoid destruction by China's long-range rockets and similar weapons. "This not only raises the cost and risk for a PLA landing, but also makes China's operational planning much more difficult." Taiwan's Defense Ministry, on X, formerly Twitter: "The Han Kuang 41 exercise begins today. The ROC [Republic of China] Armed Forces are fully committed around the clock. We ask for the public's understanding and support for any temporary inconvenience caused to daily life or traffic. Public support is our strength." What Happens Next A particular focus during the first three days will be on the potential for Chinese forces to escalate gray zone activities into an invasion, said Major General Tung Chi-hsing, director of the Ministry of National Defense's joint operations planning division, according to Focus Taiwan. The exercise will enter the "full-scale combat" phase July 13-18, with training to include coastal and beachhead drills simulating an amphibious landing. Drills focused on protracted warfare will round out the final three days. Taiwanese officials have said this year's Han Kuang exercise will proceed under the assumption that China could launch an offensive in 2027. That's also the year former Indo-Pacific Command chief Philip Davidson and other U.S. officials have warned they believe Chinese leader Xi Jinping has directed the PLA to be capable of taking Taiwan—though they noted he would not necessarily pull the trigger that or any other year.
The Star
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Round-the-clock live fire, urban survival drills: Taiwan to test war readiness
For the first time, Taiwan's largest annual military exercise will combine conventional war games and urban survival drills under 'unprecedented' live-fire conditions when it gets under way next week. The move signals growing concerns in Taipei that Beijing could trigger a prolonged conflict requiring both military defence and civilian resilience. The 41st Han Kuang exercise from July 9 to 18 would test joint operational readiness under 'unprecedented 10-day, round-the-clock live-fire conditions', the Taiwanese defence ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry stated that this year's edition would incorporate the 'whole-of-society resilience' approach, introduced last year by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te as an updated civil defence model. The urban drills would feature air-raid warnings, mass evacuations and critical infrastructure protection across multiple regions. The aim, the ministry said, was to simulate a full-spectrum response to war – from the initial non-military 'grey zone' pressure to full attack, coastal landings, and extended urban warfare. 'Only through readiness can we preserve peace,' said Major General Tung Chi-hsing, head of the ministry's joint operations planning division, emphasising that integration of civil defence and national mobilisation was key to Taiwan's overall resilience. The simulated scenario will begin with grey-zone harassment such as cyberattacks or economic coercion, before escalating to conflict. Key phases will include combat readiness transition – simulating rapid alerts and decentralised deployments; joint anti-landing drills to counter People's Liberation Army amphibious assaults; and missile strikes. Other drills will include coast and urban warfare, examining the ability of Taiwanese forces to repel beachhead incursions and defend towns; deep defence operations rehearsing layered resistance in cities and mountain areas; and prolonged warfare testing, assessing both military and civilian systems under continuous attack. To reflect early-stage PLA strikes on command centres and logistics hubs, held up as a very likely scenario, the exercises will stress mobility, redundancy and battlefield survivability. Troops will rehearse rapid relocation, backup command activation, and communications blackout protocol, according to Tung. He added that legal experts would be embedded in the exercises to ensure the military actions remained consistent with international and domestic laws – describing it as a gesture that affirmed Taiwan's adherence to democratic values even under existential threat. The Han Kuang drills will run concurrently with the 35th Tung Hsin national mobilisation drill, which Tung said would include a full 14-day call-up for reservists, notably the 206th Infantry Brigade, marking the first time for an entire brigade to be called up for the exercise. A major new addition is the '2025 Urban Resilience (Air Defence) Exercise,' which will be coordinated with local governments and take place over July 15 to 18. The drill will simulate a sudden PLA assault on Taiwan proper as well as the outlying island clusters of Penghu, Quemoy – also known as Kinmen – and Matsu. It will test how municipalities handle air defence and civil protection in wartime conditions. According to Chu Sen-tsuen, manpower mobilisation director of Taiwan's All-out Defence Mobilisation Office, the goal of the resilience drill 'is to strengthen urban preparedness and validate evacuation, sheltering, and rescue protocols'. Each region will hold a 30-minute air raid drill, using phone alerts, sirens, TV and radio broadcasts, and loudspeakers. After the alarm is lifted, civil teams will simulate disaster response, casualty rescue and shelter management. In the capital Taipei, plus Taichung in central Taiwan and Tainan in the south, the full 10-day Han Kuang timeline would be compressed into a single-day simulation combining air defence, war-gaming and urban survival tasks, Chu said. Local governments will designate three zones each – typically transport hubs, shopping areas, and government buildings – where civilians will be directed to take shelter. 'Failure to comply with evacuation orders may result in fines of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 (about US$1,030 to US$5,130) under the Civil Defence Act,' Chu warned. He said the integrated drills would also test civil-military coordination at wartime, including the joint use of public and private medical facilities and legal simulations to ensure adherence to humanitarian law. While Taiwan has long rehearsed for a potential PLA attack, analysts said the growing emphasis on whole-of-society resilience reflected a broader shift in thinking – that future wars might be won not only with firepower, but with public unity and resolve. 'By combining conventional combat readiness with civilian preparedness, this year's Han Kuang marks a turning point in Taiwan's defence strategy – a whole-of-society effort to endure the worst-case scenario,' said Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defence and Security Research. Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of China, has vowed to pursue unification by force if necessary. Taiwanese leader Lai has repeatedly angered Beijing with his comments since taking office last year, including describing mainland China as a 'foreign hostile force' and declaring that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are 'not subordinate to each other'. The provocative rhetoric has prompted Beijing to ramp up military pressure on the island, with frequent PLA drills and simulated blockades. The United States, Taiwan's main international backer and arms supplier, has cited intelligence reports to warn that the PLA may be ready to attack Taiwan by 2027. Like most countries, the US does not recognise self-governed Taiwan as an independent state. However, it is opposed to any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo and is legally bound under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide weapons for defence. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Taiwan Readies Soldiers, Civilians for Largest China Invasion Drills
Taiwan began preparations this week for its annual Han Kuang military exercise in response to what its government describes as escalating military pressure from China. The war games-scheduled to last 10 days and nine nights from July 9-are to be the largest ever across Taiwan proper and its outlying islands, officials said. More than 22,000 reservists are due to be mobilized and the exercise is scheduled to run concurrently with island-wide civil defense drills. The Han Kuang exercise will be held against the backdrop of an increased risk of conflict across the Taiwan Strait, a flash point that could drag the United States and China into a major war over Taiwan's future. China claims Taiwan as its own despite Taipei's objections. The United States does not recognize Taiwan's statehood but has political and economic stakes in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute, and is obliged by U.S. law to help Taipei arm itself against a possible attack. The scale and scope of this year's drills reflect the island's growing apprehension, but also its desire to apply lessons learned from recent conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, for example, about asymmetric weapons systems and territorial defense. Taiwan's Defense Ministry is calling up an additional 7,000 reservists to join this year's Han Kuang exercise, said Taipei defense chief Wellington Koo. One of the objectives is to assess how long it would take to ensure reservists are combat ready in wartime, Koo said. Taiwan's armed forces have an active-duty strength of just over 150,000, compared with China's standing army of over 2 million soldiers. This year, days of live-fire training across Taiwan's archipelagic territory will run twice as long as in previous annual drills, according to plans, covering so-called "gray zone" activity that falls short of conflict, anti-landing joint operations as well as a protracted defense of the island's vulnerable sites. The Taiwan army is expected to stage another test of its newly acquired HIMARS rocket launchers alongside indigenous anti-air, anti-ship and ground-attack missiles. For the first time, a convenience store chain will participate in parallel civil defense drills to distribute humanitarian supplies. Other urban training protocols include air-raid guidance and daytime evacuation rehearsals. The 41st Han Kuang exercise will take place amid heightened political animosity across the strait. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has given four of 10 planned speeches through which he hopes to gird Taiwanese society for mounting Chinese pressure to yield to Beijing's demands. The Chinese government's Taiwan Affairs Office responded this week by calling Lai a "troublemaker" who was "stirring up confrontation across the Taiwan Strait." Ely Ratner, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs and now a principal at the Marathon Initiative think tank, told Taiwan's Central News Agency: "Taiwan is on the right track to contribute to deterrence and should continue apace with heightened urgency and resources." Chen Binhua, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, said in an press release: "The two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the same China…We hope that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots will resolutely oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the sake of national righteousness and their own well-being." The 41st annual Han Kuang exercise is scheduled from July 9-18. In late July and August, around a quarter of Taiwan's sitting lawmakers-including half of those representing Taiwan's main opposite Kuomintang party-face recall votes, in an unprecedented campaign that could shake up the island's political landscape for years before the next general election in January 2028. Related Articles China's Disappearing Generals Put Questions Over Xi's GripUS Ally Detects Chinese Military Near Coast: PhotosUS Military Issues Update on China's Rocket Force ThreatChina's Rival Receives Anti-Ship Boost From US 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Taiwan Readies Soldiers, Civilians for Largest China Invasion Drills
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Taiwan began preparations this week for its annual Han Kuang military exercise in response to what its government describes as escalating military pressure from China. The war games—scheduled to last 10 days and nine nights from July 9—are to be the largest ever across Taiwan proper and its outlying islands, officials said. More than 22,000 reservists are due to be mobilized and the exercise is scheduled to run concurrently with island-wide civil defense drills. Why It Matters The Han Kuang exercise will be held against the backdrop of an increased risk of conflict across the Taiwan Strait, a flash point that could drag the United States and China into a major war over Taiwan's future. China claims Taiwan as its own despite Taipei's objections. The United States does not recognize Taiwan's statehood but has political and economic stakes in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long dispute, and is obliged by U.S. law to help Taipei arm itself against a possible attack. The scale and scope of this year's drills reflect the island's growing apprehension, but also its desire to apply lessons learned from recent conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, for example, about asymmetric weapons systems and territorial defense. A Land Sword II ground-to-air missile is launched during a test-fire drill in Taiwan's southern Pingtung county on May 13, 2025. A Land Sword II ground-to-air missile is launched during a test-fire drill in Taiwan's southern Pingtung county on May 13, 2025. Chiang Ying-ying/AP What To Know Taiwan's Defense Ministry is calling up an additional 7,000 reservists to join this year's Han Kuang exercise, said Taipei defense chief Wellington Koo. One of the objectives is to assess how long it would take to ensure reservists are combat ready in wartime, Koo said. Taiwan's armed forces have an active-duty strength of just over 150,000, compared with China's standing army of over 2 million soldiers. This year, days of live-fire training across Taiwan's archipelagic territory will run twice as long as in previous annual drills, according to plans, covering so-called "gray zone" activity that falls short of conflict, anti-landing joint operations as well as a protracted defense of the island's vulnerable sites. The Taiwan army is expected to stage another test of its newly acquired HIMARS rocket launchers alongside indigenous anti-air, anti-ship and ground-attack missiles. For the first time, a convenience store chain will participate in parallel civil defense drills to distribute humanitarian supplies. Other urban training protocols include air-raid guidance and daytime evacuation rehearsals. The 41st Han Kuang exercise will take place amid heightened political animosity across the strait. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has given four of 10 planned speeches through which he hopes to gird Taiwanese society for mounting Chinese pressure to yield to Beijing's demands. The Chinese government's Taiwan Affairs Office responded this week by calling Lai a "troublemaker" who was "stirring up confrontation across the Taiwan Strait." What People Are Saying Ely Ratner, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs and now a principal at the Marathon Initiative think tank, told Taiwan's Central News Agency: "Taiwan is on the right track to contribute to deterrence and should continue apace with heightened urgency and resources." Chen Binhua, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, said in an press release: "The two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the same China…We hope that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots will resolutely oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the sake of national righteousness and their own well-being." What Happens Next The 41st annual Han Kuang exercise is scheduled from July 9-18. In late July and August, around a quarter of Taiwan's sitting lawmakers—including half of those representing Taiwan's main opposite Kuomintang party—face recall votes, in an unprecedented campaign that could shake up the island's political landscape for years before the next general election in January 2028.
