2026 Han Kuang drills test key U.S. military rehearsals: Source

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan's largest annual military drills are introducing several key U.S.-style rehearsal methods aimed at improving coordination and combat readiness, an unnamed senior defense official said Sunday.

The Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan's largest-scale war games, are held annually in two stages: computerized simulations and live-fire drills. This year's 42nd edition began with tabletop war games on Saturday, which will run through April 24, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

A major focus of the 2026 drills is testing troops in four types of U.S. military rehearsals, the official said on condition of anonymity.

These include Combined Arms Rehearsal (CAR), confirmation briefs (backbriefs), support rehearsals, and battle drill or standard operating procedure (SOP) rehearsals.

A backbrief involves subordinates explaining to commanders how they intend to carry out assigned missions, allowing leaders to confirm understanding, identify gaps, and align execution before operations begin.

CAR integrates maneuver and firepower to ensure units operate in sync on the battlefield. Support rehearsals focus on coordination within Battlefield Operating Systems (BOS), such as fire support and combat service support.

Battle drill and SOP rehearsals ensure troops are familiar with specific procedures and can execute them quickly.

While Taiwan's military has similar concepts, increased exchanges with the United States in recent years have led American counterparts to push for more rigorous implementation of these methods, the official said.

The shift is intended to make frontline troops more active decision-makers rather than passive recipients of orders, improving effectiveness in modern combat.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said past exercises were often treated as formalities aimed at satisfying superiors.

Recent drills, however, have become more practical, allowing different branches to test and align their defensive plans through both simulations and live-fire exercises, he said.

Echoing remarks by the unnamed official that the 2026 exercises will mark the first time Taiwan's military intelligence units have been included in tabletop war games, Su said the move reflects U.S. practices and will enhance battlefield awareness by complementing data from radar and reconnaissance aircraft, enabling more precise support for frontline units.

First held in 1984, the Han Kuang exercises are designed to test Taiwan's combat readiness in the event of a possible Chinese invasion.

The MND has not yet announced the dates or duration of this year's live-fire drills.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) has said the live-fire segment, typically held in summer, is expected to last 10 days and nine nights, as it did last year.