Fighter jets, helicopters conduct live-fire drill during Taiwan Army exercise
ROC Central News Agency
09/07/2022 07:08 PM
Taipei, Sept. 7 (CNA) Apache helicopters and Taiwan's indigenous IDF fighter jets on Wednesday fired live ammunition during an Army exercise in southern Taiwan, which is being held over four days to test the combat readiness of the nation's troops amid rising tensions with China.
Wednesday's drill began with the indigenous IDFs and AH-64E Apaches taking to the skies in a simulated attack on invading forces, at the Joint Operations Training Base Command in Pingtung County.
After the simulated air strike that used live ammunition, the 564th Army Brigade of the 8th Army Corps mobilized its tanks, mortars, and CM11, CM32, CM33 and CM34 armored vehicles to fire at designated targets, in a simulated ground attack on enemy forces.
Major General Lee Yu-chin (李有金), commander of the 564th Army Brigade, told reporters that Wednesday morning's drill was meant to test Taiwan's ability to repel an invading force at the nearby Fenggang port.
Wednesday's action, part of the four-day Lien Yung exercise (聯勇操演), followed a nighttime live-fire drill that also featured the Army's Apache choppers and tanks on the first day.
The 8th Army Corps comprises troops deployed in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung in southern Taiwan.
The Lien Yung is a large scale live-fire military drill that is usually held six times a year at the Joint Operations Training Base Command, and it is the country's second largest military exercise, after the annual Han Kuang series that involves all branches of the military.
This week, local media and journalists from major international news outlets are being allowed to observe the Lien Yung exercise, and for the first time reporters from India are part of the press corps.
Manish Jha, an editor with India's TV9 Bharatvarsh news channel, told CNA that the Indian media is now paying close attention to Taiwan amid rising cross-Strait tensions.
Since United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in early August, China has intensified its military drills near Taiwan.
(By Kuo Chien-sheng and Joseph Yeh)
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