The Republic of China’s military “Hanguang 41” live-fire exercise entered its 6th day, with the military in Penghu and Matsu simulating a Communist Party attack on the islands. The defense zone immediately integrated multiple combat forces for live ammunition shooting. President Lai Ching-te today (14th) inspected the Hanguang exercise – Navy defensive mine-laying maneuvers and live-fire exercises, praising the efforts of the officers and soldiers and showing support for the armed forces.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China announced this morning the dynamic of People’s Liberation Army aircraft in the surrounding airspace of the Taiwan Strait. From 6 am on the 13th to 6 am on the 9th, 17 incidents of PLA aircraft (including 7 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and intruding into the airspace of the north, southwest, and east) and 8 PLA ships and 1 government ship were detected, with a total of 26 PLA aircraft and ships continuously active in the waters around the Taiwan Strait. The military used surveillance planes, ships, and coastal missile systems to closely monitor and respond.
According to the planned progress of the “Hanguang 41” exercise by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China, the 9th to 11th simulated high-intensity gray zone intrusions, the 12th simulated targeted enemy actions against Taiwan, the 13th simulated joint enemy firepower strikes and landing operations against Taiwan, the 14th simulated island warfare, the 15th to 16th simulated enemy deep operations against Taiwan, and the military conducted integrated defense and sustained combat operations through military-civilian integration.
Reported by the Military News Agency, the First Theater Command implemented the “domain fire suppression live ammunition shooting” early this morning, simulating enemy “fast assault landing” on the Penghu area. The defense zones’ forces issued immediate response orders based on scenarios and auxiliary conditions, and launched attacks against the incoming enemy.
This exercise integrated joint firepower in the defense zone, including activities such as “fast boat ambush,” “anti-aircraft unit engagement,” “firepower strikes,” “combat sweeps,” “reserve team deployment,” and “battlefield cleanup.” Various weapons were used for shooting, including “Harpoon” missiles, M60A3 tanks, CM21 armored vehicles, 155mm and 105mm howitzers, 120mm and 81mm mortars, M240 machine guns, 50 caliber machine guns, and 40mm grenade launchers, showcasing a multi-layered combat strategy of suppressing and eliminating enemies.
During the exercise, various machine guns were used to build a dense anti-aircraft network, and “Harpoon” missiles precisely targeted high-value enemy assets. Following this, a variety of artillery provided long-range firepower suppression. Finally, armored vehicles conducted battlefield sweeps, effectively clearing out incoming enemies and demonstrating the results of rigorous training and readiness of the troops.
Matsu Defense Command issued a press release stating that to strengthen response capabilities against enemy assaults, the “Hanguang 41 Exercise” live ammunition shooting was conducted at around 5 a.m. in the sea area around Matsu Village in Nangan Township. The exercise simulated a Communist Party attempt to agitate with fishing boats and drones in the gray zone and suddenly launch island takeover operations from the sea.
The Matsu Defense Command stated that they coordinated artillery, special forces, drones, and strike forces to conduct live ammunition shooting to demonstrate overall coordinated combat and the training results of immediate response and handling rapidly changing enemy situations.
The Matsu Defense Command mentioned that the Amphibious Reconnaissance Company (Sea Dragon Frogmen) performed live ammunition shooting at sea for the first time in almost 7 years, joining the “coastal waters combat” to enhance anti-assault and immediate response capabilities. The scenario involved simulating enemy ships approaching, with Sea Dragon Frogmen quickly gathering enemy information using boat radar. After transmitting the situation to the command center, the “Success Boat” followed orders to use 50-caliber machine guns and squad machine guns to suppress enemy forces.
The Matsu Defense Command explained that the Sea Dragon Frogmen’s participation carried significant tactical implications. Besides verifying troops’ ability to respond to combat and the effectiveness of firepower, the exercise aimed to familiarize troops with the evolving battlefield scenarios in response to increasing gray zone aggression, showcasing a Special Forces spirit of being capable, daring, mobile, and precise.
Moreover, the Matsu Defense Command stated that to enhance real-time battlefield monitoring capabilities, drones were dispatched from frontline bases during live ammunition shooting to conduct maritime reconnaissance missions. They precisely tracked enemy movements and promptly relayed coordinates to the fire coordination center, completing the shooting request procedures. Through drone footage, they continuously monitored the effectiveness of firepower strikes, effectively validating the consistent real-world operational process of reconnaissance, transmission, striking, and assessment.
The Office of the President of the Republic of China issued a press release, stating that President Lai Ching-te visited the Kaohsiung area this morning to inspect the Hanguang 41 Exercise – Navy defensive mine-laying maneuvers and live-fire exercises. The National Security Council Secretary-General Wu Zhaoxie, Minister of National Defense Gu Lixiong, Navy Commander Tang Hua, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council Xu Sijian, Theater Commander Liao Jianxing, and Air Force Academy Principal Huang Yingjie all attended the event. President Lai Ching-te affirmed the hard work of the officers and soldiers and showed support for the armed forces.
President Lai Ching-te first arrived at the Pinghai Camp and was briefed by Fleet 192 Commander Chen Mingfeng on the mine-laying process, learning about the storage, fuse installation, battery modules, and setting of mines. He then proceeded to the Dongdeng Pier to hear about the mine-loading process and inspected the mine-laying system on board. After leaving the boat, he also received an explanation from the Amphibious Reconnaissance Company leader Long Taisheng on nearshore defense special operations, learning about the Navy’s defensive mine-laying maneuvers and live-fire exercises, and presented additional funds to boost morale among the military.
Reported by the Military News Agency, the Air Force’s First Tactical Fighter Wing conducted a nighttime runway repair exercise on the evening of the 13th, simulating damaged runways after an enemy attack on the airfield. This verified the unit’s efficiency in emergency situations and repair capabilities, ensuring the rapid restoration of runway conditions for maintaining the pace of air defense operations.
The exercise simulated that the base runway was unusable after being attacked. Once the repair team received the order, they carried out crater surveys, damaged area identification, filling operations, and completed the runway repair mission according to standard procedures. Simultaneously, they set up a mobile cable arresting system and standby operation to ensure that in case of brake failure or system anomalies, the aircraft can safely use the cable arrest system for stopping. The entire exercise was conducted at night, and the officers and soldiers had to overcome challenges such as low visibility and tight time constraints to quickly restore combat readiness conditions to support the demand for redeployment of aircraft.
During the exercise, each team sequentially completed equipment deployment, construction scheduling, and paving operations, with orderly division of labor and close coordination to ensure the overall process was efficient. Despite the challenging working conditions, all participating personnel steadfastly held their positions and worked together, demonstrating a spirit of teamwork and readiness in the troops.
Reported by Central News Agency, to prevent the People’s Liberation Army from entering the Danshui River and violating the central areas, the military set up three barriers at the mouth of the Danshui River. The first barrier used fishing nets to entangle the propellers of small enemy boats, preventing smooth navigation. The second involved floating platforms with barrels that could be detonated to ignite the surface of the river, while the third was a steel frame floating platform, known as the “steel hedgehog,” which could detonate M3 anti-tank mines to damage the underside of air-cushioned boats or boats, rendering them inoperable.
The exercise started around 10:25 a.m. when enemy assault units were detected approaching. Tanks were deployed to intercept, and at the same time, explosive charges on the floating platforms were detonated on the river surface. Smoke filled the air, creating an impactful scene, and the entire exercise was successfully completed within 10 minutes.
The Hanguang 41 live-fire exercise this year summoned a reserve unit, the 206th Brigade, on a brigade scale for the first time. In the morning, they carried out pre-combat training like firing 105mm howitzer airburst shells and self-defense combat drills at Linkou. At the start of the exercise, drones were used to simulate locating enemy targets. At this point, the fire control center issued the shooting command, and selected officers and soldiers fired sequentially at the enemy targets using four 105mm howitzers.
During the process, a small enemy force ambushed, and the personnel moved tactically to tactical positions to engage. Each officer and soldier fired a total of 40 blank rounds in various positions – kneeling, lying down, and standing – while also deploying smoke canisters for cover. This not only ensured the safety of logistical facilities, supplies, ammunition, and fuel but also trained in the evacuation and self-rescue of casualties under enemy fire threat.