Taiwan military showcases urban terrain operations in Kaohsiung mock town

Kaohsiung, Jan. 6 (CNA) Taiwan's military showcased its urban terrain operation capabilities Thursday in a round of exercises at a mock town inside an infantry training center in Kaohsiung City.

In the drill, which took place against a backdrop of rising cross-strait tensions, a platoon from the 586th Armored Brigade platoon and a platoon from the 333rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade conducted "red-blue" exercises, with red playing the role of the invading force and blue the defense.

The exercise took place in the 6,599-square-meter compound inside the Army Infantry Training Command located in Kaohsiung's Fengshan District.

The soldiers were all wearing multiple integrated laser engagement systems, or MILES, bought from the United States. The system uses lasers and blank cartridges for training purposes.

Aside from the troops, each side also mobilized one CM32 and one CM33 armored vehicle, and two other eight-wheeled vehicles.

The drill was held at the mock town consisting of 26 buildings of all sizes dubbed the "military operations in urban terrain'" simulator. The simulator features neighborhoods and alleys similar to those found in Taiwan.

According to the Army, urban terrain operations are known for their fast-tempo, short-range, and high-pressure environments, and the mock town features rows of gray buildings designed to help soldiers to develop skills for real-world situations.

The mock town, built decades ago, is regularly upgraded to mimic up-to-date urban environments.

The Army said the environment allows Taiwanese infantry soldiers to hone the skills needed for house-to-house and street-by-street fighting in towns and cities.

The MILES system, meanwhile, was established to simulate actual battles, according to the Army.

Individual soldiers carry small laser sensors scattered over their uniforms and weapons, which detect when the soldier has been illuminated by a weapon's laser.

All the data from the exercise is transmitted simultaneously to the computer system to allow the Army to conduct a review and make adjustments accordingly after the drill, the military said.

Since November 2019, a total of 36 infantry platoons have conducted urban terrain operations at the mock town in Kaohsiung, with each training session lasting two weeks, according to the Army.

Thursday's drill was part of a three-day public demonstration that began on Wednesday.

Press were allowed to observe the demonstration, which aims to showcase Taiwan's combat readiness prior to the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of this month.