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Taiwan stages live-fire drill to test ability in countering sea attacks

ROC Central News Agency

07/03/2023 06:07 PM

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Army on Monday held a round of precision weapon live-fire exercises in southern Pingtung County to test troops' capabilities in countering potential amphibious and sea attacks from China.

Tilted Tien Ma (天馬操演) or Sky Horse exercise, the military drills were open to the media and involved troops from the Army's 542nd, 564th, 269th and 234th brigades, Hualien Defense Command, Army Infantry Training Command, and 99th Marine Brigade.

During the Monday afternoon drill, soldiers fired TOW 2A anti-tank missiles at targets in the sea from a coastal drill area in Pingtung's Fangshan Township.

Major Huang Chieh-hung (黃介宏), a military instructor from the Army Infantry Training Command who was in charge of Monday's drill, told reporters that soldiers were using sighting devices to help them fire missiles accurately, and that around 70 percent of rounds successfully hit their designated targets in the sea.

The major difference between this year's Sky Horse exercise and previous ones was that this year TOW 2B anti-tank missiles were fired from vehicles instead of from the ground, Huang said.

Firing a missile from a military vehicle could help provide better mobility and help the armed forces defend enemy attacks by engaging effectively at an early stage, he added.

According to the defense ministry, aside from Taiwan's existing TOW 2A missiles, the country has also purchased more advanced TOW 2B anti-tank missiles from the United States.

A total of 1,240 TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, 24 HMMWV armored vehicles upon which the missiles will be mounted, and 30 targeting systems are set to be delivered to Taiwan by 2025, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the Army also held a helicopter live-fire weapon firing exercise and Thunderbolt-2000 rocket system drills Monday at another drill ground in Pingtung.

On Tuesday, the Army will hold another round of live-fire exercises that will include its Avenger Air Defense Weapon System and Stinger surface-to-air missiles.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

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