Taiwan on Monday (July 25) kicked off it largest military exercises. The exercise saw trench warfare and shoulder-launched Stinger missiles deployed against simulated Chinese attacks. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has heightened Taiwanese worries that China may invade it.
Taiwan, a democracy, is claimed by China as its own territory. China has not ruled out use of force to capture the island. China’s military might far surpasses that of Taiwan.
The five-day ‘Han Kuang’ (Han Glory) war games have incorporated lessons from the European war this year, said Taiwan’s defence ministry. There are simulations of ‘all possible actions’ China can take to invade Taiwan.
On Monday, reservists armed with machine guns ran into sandbagged trenches dug under a bridge before getting into firing position, in a drill aimed at blocking enemies from gaining access to the capital Taipei.
“The underground bunkers help cover the troops and ward off the enemy’s strike forces,” said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research. He was quoted by AFP.
“They are part of Ukraine’s urban warfare.”
He said that stinger missiles were also deployed in some high-rise buildings in the area. Stinger missiles are effective against helicopters and low-flying planes.
(With inputs from agencies)
