TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Friday declared the longest-ever annual Han Kuang 41 military drills over.

This year’s exercise lasted 10 days and nine nights, while featuring more practical and unscripted exercises than ever before. The military maneuvers were also combined with nationwide urban resilience drills held over four days.

Koo praised the military, giving a special mention to the rescue and relief work they conducted in the aftermath of Typhoon Danas, which struck South Taiwan during the early days of Han Kuang 41. The minister described the efforts as the best example of cooperation between military and civilians, per CNA.

Koo also said the call-up of reservists during the drills served to evaluate their training program. As for new weapons, Han Kuang 41 included displays of the HIMARS rocket system, the land-based Sky Sword II missile system, TOW missiles, and a selection of drones, he said.

The maneuvers showed the capabilities of Taiwan’s armed forces as a deterrent following reforms. The military wanted the enemy to understand that an erroneous policy to attack Taiwan would have consequences, Koo said, adding that achieving the aims of an attack would be impossible.

The defense chief noted that since February, different rounds of military drills had emphasized the importance of collaboration between different units, the on-the-spot decision-making abilities of commanders, and the need to evaluate performance in order to improve.