Taiwan President Oversees Drills on Warship, Lauds Determination for Defense

SUAO—Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen boarded a naval warship on Tuesday where she lauded the military’s determination to defend the island while overseeing its largest annual naval and air exercises.The military drills, which simulate the repulsion of an invading force, coincide with air-raid exercises across the island as it boosts combat preparedness in the face of rising military pressure from the Chinese regime. Naval vessels are seen on water as part of Taiwan’s main annual “Han Kuang” exercises off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, in Yilan, Taiwan, on July 26, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters) Anping-class offshore patrol vessel fires a JhenHai remote rocket as part of Taiwan’s main annual “Han Kuang” exercises off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, in Yilan, Taiwan, on July 26, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters) The Chinese regime’s growing aggression toward Taiwan, combined with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have renewed debate about how to boost defense and prompted authorities to step up preparations in the event of an attack from communist China. The Chinese regime claims the island as its own, despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution. As part of Taiwan’s annual “Han Kuang” exercises, 20 warships including frigates and destroyers fired shells to intercept and attack a would-be invading force off Taiwan’s northeast coast, while fleets of F-16 fighter jets and domestically manufactured Ching-kuo fighters launched air strikes. Tsai, on board a decommissioned U.S. Kidd class missile destroyer in waters off the port town of Suao, was seen wearing camouflage clothing and greeting soldiers. “The excellent drill just now demonstrated the ability and determination by the soldiers of the Republic of China to defend the country,” Tsai told soldiers via a cabin broadcast, using Taiwan’s official name. “Let’s continue to guard our homeland together. Good job,” she said. The United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by U.S. law to provide the democratically governed island with the means to defend itself. Speaking in a pre-recorded speech at a security forum in Taipei on Tuesday morning, Tsai said “authoritarian forces” were threatening to subvert the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan was standing on the geopolitical frontline to “fight against the authoritarian aggression.” The island-wide drills this year include repulsion of an invading force at a major harbor near the capital Taipei, urban combat practice by the reservist force, and an exercise to transfer jets across Taiwan to bunkers dug out of the side of mountains on the remote east coast to withstand a first wave of missile attacks. Among the warships on display were the island’s new minelayer as well as a stealth corvette, which has been dubbed by Taiwan’s navy the “aircraft carrier killer” due to its complement of anti-ship missiles. Follow

Taiwan President Oversees Drills on Warship, Lauds Determination for Defense

SUAO—Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen boarded a naval warship on Tuesday where she lauded the military’s determination to defend the island while overseeing its largest annual naval and air exercises.

The military drills, which simulate the repulsion of an invading force, coincide with air-raid exercises across the island as it boosts combat preparedness in the face of rising military pressure from the Chinese regime.

taiwan warship
Naval vessels are seen on water as part of Taiwan’s main annual “Han Kuang” exercises off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, in Yilan, Taiwan, on July 26, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)
warship taiwan
Anping-class offshore patrol vessel fires a JhenHai remote rocket as part of Taiwan’s main annual “Han Kuang” exercises off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, in Yilan, Taiwan, on July 26, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

The Chinese regime’s growing aggression toward Taiwan, combined with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have renewed debate about how to boost defense and prompted authorities to step up preparations in the event of an attack from communist China.

The Chinese regime claims the island as its own, despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution.

As part of Taiwan’s annual “Han Kuang” exercises, 20 warships including frigates and destroyers fired shells to intercept and attack a would-be invading force off Taiwan’s northeast coast, while fleets of F-16 fighter jets and domestically manufactured Ching-kuo fighters launched air strikes.

Tsai, on board a decommissioned U.S. Kidd class missile destroyer in waters off the port town of Suao, was seen wearing camouflage clothing and greeting soldiers.

“The excellent drill just now demonstrated the ability and determination by the soldiers of the Republic of China to defend the country,” Tsai told soldiers via a cabin broadcast, using Taiwan’s official name.

“Let’s continue to guard our homeland together. Good job,” she said.

The United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by U.S. law to provide the democratically governed island with the means to defend itself.

Speaking in a pre-recorded speech at a security forum in Taipei on Tuesday morning, Tsai said “authoritarian forces” were threatening to subvert the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan was standing on the geopolitical frontline to “fight against the authoritarian aggression.”

The island-wide drills this year include repulsion of an invading force at a major harbor near the capital Taipei, urban combat practice by the reservist force, and an exercise to transfer jets across Taiwan to bunkers dug out of the side of mountains on the remote east coast to withstand a first wave of missile attacks.

Among the warships on display were the island’s new minelayer as well as a stealth corvette, which has been dubbed by Taiwan’s navy the “aircraft carrier killer” due to its complement of anti-ship missiles.


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