TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — For the first time in history, Taiwan's military conducted a drill designed to repel a Chinese attack at Taoyuan Airport as part of the 39th edition of the Han Kuang military exercises (漢光演習).
On Wednesday (July 26), the third day of this year's Han Kuang exercises, soldiers acting as "red" invading special forces from China entered in Blackhawk Helicopters with bright red markers, pitted against the "blue" Taiwanese troops, whose mission was to defend the airport, reported the Military News Agency. The Aviation Police Bureau and the airport's fire department also took part in the exercises.
(CNA photo)
The exercise started at 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday. The Aviation and Special Forces Command and Army Airborne Special Forces served as the "red" army, simulating a bomb assault on the airport, which was extinguished by airport firefighters using two Oshkosh Striker 3000 firefighting vehicles.
Then, two AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and four UH-60M Black Hawks arrived at the scene. Troops from the red team rappelled from the choppers to launch a rapid assault on the airfield.
(CNA photo)
Blue team troops responded with a counterattack, concentrating fire on the invaders. With the help of the aviation police and airport fire department, the blue team successfully repulsed the red team's assault and hoisted Taiwan's flag on a high section of scaffolding at the end of the exercise.
While similar simulations had been conducted at other airports, this marked the first time that a military exercise had been carried out at Taoyuan Airport. The purpose of the exercise was to practice coordinated drills with various airport units and to refine military command, control, and emergency response procedures.
(CNA photo)
Due to fears that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would attempt to land troops on "red beaches," many previous exercises focused on repelling amphibious landings on key beaches. However, the military decided to conduct the exercise this year at Taoyuan Airport given its strategic importance as the largest air transport hub in Taiwan.
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
(Military News Agency photo)
