Soldiers invade southern Taiwan in amphibious drill
ROC Central News Agency
2011/04/14 14:20:26
By Kuo Chu-chen and Alex Jiang
Taipei, April 14 (CNA) More than 3,000 troops engaged in an amphibious landing drill Thursday in southern Taiwan as part of the five-day Hankuang exercises.
At 7 a.m., a fleet of amphibious gunboats approached the coast of Pingtung County and waited for marine specialists to launch bombs that would clear any mines from the waters. Their cargo -- marines, M60A3 tanks, and other armored vehicles.
When the coast was clear, troops started assaulting the beachhead from their amphibious transports and assault vehicles. At the same time, jet fighters and attack helicopters were also deployed to facilitate the landing operation.
During the offensive, one jeep was seen stuck on the beach and was later rescued by an armored vehicle, a scene that many spectators had thought was a mishap.
When the jeep was pulled onshore, however, the military broadcast said the beach "rescue" operation was "conducted successfully."
Apparently, the disabled jeep was part of the drill. Chang Shou-ling, a high-level official with the Marine Corps, explained that they included such a rescue challenge to simulate a common glitch in these operations -- that any landing vehicle could get stuck due to conditions on the ground.
This year's Hankuang military exercises are being held from April 11-15.
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