Senior Correspondent, Dhaka:
Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise is testing how its armed forces and civilian infrastructure could respond to a range of scenarios involving a potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait.
During Monday’s drills, Taiwanese forces simulated defending the Penghu Islands against a combined air and coastal landing. Troops deployed M60A3 tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft systems as part of a layered defensive exercise. Reservists also participated, allowing the military to assess coordination between active-duty and reserve forces.
The exercise is taking place amid continued tensions between Taiwan and China. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to assert control, while Taipei maintains that Taiwan’s future should be determined by its people.
Penghu holds strategic importance because of its location in the Taiwan Strait. Its proximity to Taiwan’s main island makes the archipelago relevant to military planning on both sides, particularly in scenarios involving control of territory and access routes.
This year’s exercise also includes a civilian communications component. Authorities plan to temporarily throttle mobile internet speeds in parts of Taiwan to examine how essential communications would function if network capacity were reduced during a major emergency.
Emergency services, ATMs, traffic signals, landlines and fixed internet connections are expected to remain available during the test. Authorities have also used public alerts and social media to inform residents about the exercise.
The inclusion of communications testing reflects the broader scope of modern security planning. In a major crisis, military operations could coincide with pressure on telecommunications, transport and other civilian infrastructure.
Overall, the drills are designed to assess Taiwan’s military readiness, reserve-force coordination and civilian preparedness. While they do not indicate that a conflict is imminent, their scale and range illustrate the continuing importance of cross-Strait security planning.
