For the first time ever, Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport saw a simulated Chinese invasion on Wednesday as the island’s military ran an anti-takeover exercise to stave off any potential attack from Beijing.
The Ministry of National Defense earlier stated that the exercise was intended to evaluate the Taiwanese military’s ability to coordinate across branches and respond to emergencies during a simulated Chinese invasion.
Drills in Preparation for Chinese Military Intimidation
The drill at Taiwan’s busiest international gateway, with military helicopters in the sky and soldiers on the tarmac, shows how Taipei is preparing for various scenarios in the face of worries over China’s increased military intimidation – worries that have increased since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started last year.
Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that China’s ruling Communist Party claims as its territory despite never having had control of it. Taiwan has been the target of years of diplomatic isolation by China.
Beijing has not ruled out using force to annex Taiwan, and it has been applying increasing amounts of military pressure on Taipei by sending aircraft into its own self-declared air defense identification zone and by stationing warships in the waterways surrounding the island.
Airports are prime targets, as Moscow’s ultimately fruitless attempt to seize Kyiv’s Gostomel Airport during the initial phases of their invasion last year plainly shown.
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Taiwanese Troops Eliminate Enemy Soldiers
Soldiers posing as pretend infiltrators while sporting red helmets took part in a shootout simulation with airport police in Taoyuan on Wednesday. Additionally, firefighters worked on putting out mock fires.
Military helicopters practiced overflying the airport and dropping enemy soldiers on the tarmac. The Taiwanese troops protecting the building and those sheltering in homemade covers traded fire with them as they made their way toward an airport building.
The drills, which lasted 30 minutes, came to a close as the Taiwanese military trained, eliminating any remaining enemy soldiers.