DEFENSE/Taiwan to conduct drone and counter-drone drills in annual military exercises

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) This year's Han Kuang military exercises will include drills testing the military's ability to deploy drones against enemy forces and conduct counter-drone operations, a military official said Tuesday.

"The 42nd Han Kuang military exercises will include drone warfare and counter-drone operations in related drills," Department of Strategic Planning official Lu Wen-yuan (呂文元) told a Ministry of National Defense (MND) news conference when asked what role drones would play in the live-fire portion of the annual exercises, scheduled for Aug. 5-14.

The drone-related drills will include battlefield reconnaissance, joint target acquisition, integrated joint fire strikes and counter-drone operations, Lu said, adding that they are intended to strengthen Taiwan's overall combat effectiveness.

Drones have become a critical component of modern warfare, Lu said.

"The military will continue to draw on relevant combat experience from the Russia-Ukraine and U.S.-Iran wars and integrate drones into its overall strategic planning based on the requirements of a potential war in the Taiwan Strait," Lu said.

Other highlights of the Han Kuang military exercises include anti-blockade drills aimed at securing maritime transportation routes and replenishing critical resources, Lu said.

The drills are designed to test coordinated operations between the Navy and the Coast Guard Administration, including their ability to carry out maritime law enforcement and patrols, secure shipping lanes, and escort shipments of critical resources, he said.

Meanwhile, the MND will test brigade-level mobilization during the Tung-Hsin manpower mobilization drills, involving the Taipei Reserve Brigade and the Army's 137th Brigade, Lu said. The mobilization drills will be held concurrently with the Han Kuang military exercises. A total of 5,000 reservists will be called up, according to the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency.

To test the armed forces' responses to simulated threats, all exercise events will be unscripted, with personnel responding after receiving instructions from the exercise control headquarters, Lu said.