TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Army's Penghu Defense Command carried out its monthly live-fire Chen Chiang exercise early Wednesday morning (April 19).

Troops used various weapons to shoot at targets in multiple different scenarios to maintain combat readiness, Military News Agency reported.

The drill started with M114 and M101 howitzers and 120 mm mortars firing flares. Troops fired machine guns, creating interlocking fire.

M60A3 tanks then launched an attack on the beach, destroying the simulated enemy force. Finally, troops carried out a counterattack operation to block the simulated enemy from reaching the beach.

The Penghu Defense Command stated that all units would continue to work hard to fulfill their missions and adhere to the principles of "preparing for war without seeking war” and “responding to conflict, rather than avoiding it.” The command pledged to continue integrating real battlefield situations into training, improving combat skills, and boosting troops’ defensive capabilities.

Following President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in early-April, China launched a three-day military exercise around Taiwan, dubbed “United Sword.”