Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te observed the nation’s military conducting live-fire drills on Thursday. These exercises are part of annual maneuvers designed to bolster the island’s defensive capabilities against China.
President Lai witnessed four tanks engaging targets individually, in pairs, and collectively at a testing site south of Taipei. This occurred on the second day of the 10-day Han Kuang exercises. The army reported that the tanks fired both while in motion and from stationary positions, achieving 100% accuracy against both fixed and mobile targets.
Lai characterized the current year’s drills as “large-scale, realistic combat exercises.”
Addressing troops and reporters at the Hsinchu county base, the president stated, “When our military possesses greater strength, the nation, society, and people will experience enhanced safety. Once our country achieves security, the Indo-Pacific region will become more peaceful and stable.”
Taiwan had previously agreed to purchase 108 of the tanks from the U.S. for $1.45 billion. This acquisition represents a significant enhancement to the island’s military inventory and training protocols, which already feature F-16V jet fighters, HIMARS missile defense systems, and stealth unmanned aerial vehicles.
China has asserted its right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, regularly harassing the island nation with balloons and military vessels in adjacent waters.
Beijing has dismissed these military exercises as a “farce,” claiming they will not alter its resolve to assert control over the island, whose populace largely opposes unification with China.
The United States serves as Taiwan’s primary source of imported defensive armaments. U.S. law mandates that threats to the island be considered a matter of “major concern,” though Washington maintains deliberate strategic ambiguity regarding whether it would deploy military forces to counter a Chinese assault.