The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China announced today that the Army’s “Lusheng 2 Exercise” will take place on October 14. The exercise will involve the 269th Combined Arms Brigade from the northern region and the 564th Brigade from the southern region, conducting a 10-day, 9-night live-fire confrontation. The exercise will integrate the verification of the M1A2T tanks, as well as test command and control methods, validate new equipment, and utilize drones to assess the overall combat capability.
The Ministry of National Defense held a press conference today to introduce the “2026 Army Republic of China 115th Lusheng 2 Exercise Plan,” chaired by Lieutenant General Sun Lifang, director of the Political Warfare Office. Major General Lin Shiwei, deputy commander of the Army Training Command, highlighted the importance of honing the command and control, tactical utilization, joint training, and operational cooperation abilities of the Army’s combined arms brigades, to establish essential defense operational capabilities.
The exercise is scheduled to take place from October 14 to 23, focusing on live-fire confrontations with the 269th and 564th Brigades deploying the maximum force to validate the overall combat capability. The exercise will be conducted in a phased manner, with a strong emphasis on tactical mobility and operational deployment.
During the exercise planning phase, specific operations such as combat deployment starting on October 14 and offensive and defensive operations from October 15 to 23 will be executed. These operations will assess the combat readiness of the forces and enhance their ability to execute offensive and defensive maneuvers effectively.
To enhance the troops’ combat readiness, the exercise will focus on gradual resistance and sustained combat operations. Furthermore, the integration of new equipment and verification of command and control methods will be prominent, ensuring a comprehensive and effective training experience.
The exercise will also incorporate the use of Taiwan Tactical Network (TTN) and ONEWEB systems for efficient command and control, alongside advanced weaponry like the third-generation systems and M1A2T tanks to validate tactical application.
Emphasizing the importance of the Lusheng Exercise as a crucial evaluation of the Army’s yearly brigade-level tactical performance, the aim is to simulate battlefield scenarios where tactical maneuvers and defense operations are tested, prioritizing progressive resistance and sustained combat training to ensure operational readiness in defense missions.
In addition to the exercise, attention has been drawn to the approval of the additional budget allocation for the central government’s defense capabilities. The Ministry of National Defense has detailed plans for the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen defense capabilities and meet the strategic goals set for the upcoming year.
As discussions continue with the legislature to expedite the budget allocation process, efforts are underway to review and refine the standards concerning physical fitness and injury assessments for active duty personnel, ensuring consistent and inclusive criteria for all military personnel. The advancements in physical fitness standards are set to be finalized and implemented by the end of October.