The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese ships around offshore island groups close to the Chinese coast,

Taiwan has conducted its first urban resilience exercise. Residents of three cities practised how to evacuate and seek shelter during an air raid, including while out shopping for groceries.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Air Force’s 5th Tactical Fighter Wing carried out “hot refueling” drills for F-16 fighter jets Friday morning at Chiashan Air Force Base in Hualien. The drills are part of the ongoing Han Kuang 41 live-fire exercise, which began on Wednesday.

In Hsinchu County, President William Lai (賴清德) monitored a live-fire exercise at the Kengzikou Range (坑子口訓練場) involving a platoon of M1A2T tanks purchased from the US. The tanks fired individually, in pairs and as a full platoon. Following the drill, the army said that the tanks had achieved “perfect” accuracy.

Taiwan launched its largest ever military drills on Wednesday, starting with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, senior defence officials said.

China has imposed export controls on eight companies tied to Taiwan’s military as the self-ruled island began annual military exercises.