TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Fourth Theater Command on Monday conducted a live-fire artillery exercise at Xishu Beach and the Golden Coast in Tainan’s South District.
For the first time, three units, the Army’s 137th Brigade, 203rd Brigade, and the Artillery Training Command, joined forces to simulate different threat scenarios, according to the Fourth Theater Command, per Liberty Times. The drills aimed to weaken and counter enemy forces. They also tested the units’ fire support capabilities and command-and-control operations.
At 6:40 a.m., troops operating M109A2 and M109A5 self-propelled howitzers at Xishu Beach began firing, successfully hitting designated sea targets. At 8:00 a.m., soldiers operating four 105mm howitzers kicked off drills at Golden Coast. By around 8:30 a.m., 24 rounds had been fired, according to Liberty Times.
The troops practiced suppressive and high-angle fire, and launched illumination rounds and delay-action munitions. The Fourth Theater Command said that in response to evolving threats and the need for realistic training, Xishu Beach was included as a new artillery site for the first time this year.
Last week, the Army's Matsu Defense Command staged its quarterly Yuntai Exercise in the waters off Matsu Harbor.
Soldiers carried out six drills, including detecting drones, drone reconnaissance and surveillance, protecting sea lanes, counterfire, suppressive fire, counter-drone attacks, and defensive fire. Troops conducted coordinated fire toward the sea, forming a dense defensive fire network to neutralize incoming threats.
