Taipei [Taiwan] February 13 : Taiwan plans to enhance the scope of its primary yearly military exercise by mobilizing additional reserve brigades. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that speculations surround media reports that the number of Chinese military aircraft entering the airspace surrounding Taiwan has doubled since President Lai Ching-te's inauguration in May, last year.
RFA reported that China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually reunite, even by force if necessary. Beijing sees Lai, who supports independence, as a separatist and has stepped up military exercises, applied economic pressure, and severed diplomatic ties to undermine his authority.
"This year's drill will mobilize an entire reserve brigade with an estimated force of 2,400 to 3,000 troops to conduct regional defence operations," Su Tong-Wei, deputy director of the Joint Operations Planning Division at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence, told at a press conference, referring to the Han Kuang exercise as quoted by RFA.
RFA outlined that the exercise is Taiwan's largest annual military drill, it tests the country's defences against a Chinese invasion. Amidst escalating tensions across the Strait, the island's emphasis on asymmetric warfare is demonstrated through live-fire training, joint operations, and attack simulations. Only a few hundred reserve troops were mobilized in previous drills.
According to defence analysts, this year's exercise aims to evaluate the mobilization and operational capabilities of Taiwan's recently formed county-level reserve brigades, RFA highlighted.
"With a mobilized force of 2,400 to 3,000 troops, if the brigade can independently carry out mobilization and training without external support, it would demonstrate the ability to rapidly and effectively deploy reserved forces in response to a potential threatthis is the core focus of the exercise," Taiwanese retired major general Arthur Kuo was quoted by Radio Free Asia.
"Effective command and coordination of brigade-level units, especially when integrating with nearby active-duty forces during the exercise, require careful planning, thorough rehearsals, and precise execution," he added as quoted by RFA.
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