Military cancels Taitung civilian airport drill due to approaching typhoon
ROC Central News Agency
07/24/2023 05:58 PM
Taipei, July 24 (CNA) Taiwan's military announced Monday it had canceled an emergency landing and takeoff drill at the civilian Taitung Fengnian Airport planned for Tuesday due to the approaching Typhoon Doksuri.
With Doksuri continuing to strengthen, military spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) had called off the drill, part of the live-fire component of this year's Han Kuang military exercises, on safety grounds.
The planned drill at Fengnian, the first of its kind since the airport opened in 1981, would have involved F-16 fighter jets and C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, according to the MND.
As part of the live-fire component of this year's Han Kuang exercises, which run from Monday to Friday, the MND has also scheduled an anti-takeover drill for Wednesday at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the country's primary international gateway.
Should the drill in Taoyuan go ahead as planned, it will be the first time such an exercise will have been held at Taiwan's busiest civilian airport.
However, Sun hinted that the MND could cancel other parts of the Han Kuang exercises due to Typhoon Doksuri, which Taiwan is expected to feel the most apparent impact on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).
The live-fire component of this year's Han Kuang military exercises kicked off early Monday with the focus of the first-day drills on testing the military's preservation and maintenance of combat capabilities in the event of a full-scale Chinese invasion.
The annual Han Kuang exercises, which have served as Taiwan's major war games since 1984, consist of live-fire drills and computerized war games and are meant to test Taiwan's combat readiness in the face of a possible Chinese invasion.
This year's tabletop exercises were staged in May.
(By Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/ASG
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