Penghu live‑fire drills

Taiwan’s army held a live-fire drill in Penghu on April 9, firing Javelin missiles and M60A3 tank rounds in a beach-defense exercise. (navy.mnd.gov.tw) A March 5 notice to mariners from Taiwan’s Naval Meteorological and Oceanographic Office listed an “Army Firing Exercise” in Penghu waters from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. local time on April 9, with April 10 set as the backup day. The warning barred ships from a danger area with a 5-nautical-mile radius and airspace control up to 5,000 feet above mean sea level. (navy.mnd.gov.tw) Reporting published on April 12 said the Penghu Defense Command ran the drill as a “Frontier Defense Exercise” that simulated an enemy amphibious landing. The exercise paired infantry carrying FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles with M60A3 Patton tanks and supporting fire from artillery and mortars. (thedefensenews.com) Penghu sits in the Taiwan Strait about 50 kilometers west of Taiwan’s main island, making it a forward position between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. Penghu County says the archipelago has 90 islands, while Britannica describes about 64 small islands in the group. (penghu.gov.tw, britannica.com) Taiwan has been rehearsing this kind of anti-landing fight in Penghu for months. In July 2025, troops there practiced striking simulated invasion forces with Javelins, howitzers, M60A3 tanks, and CM21 armored vehicles during the Han Kuang 41 exercise. (taiwannews.com.tw) The Penghu command also staged what the army described as its first nighttime live-fire drill in December 2024. Taiwan’s Military News Agency said that exercise was meant to show the command could keep firing operations going after dark, not only in daylight. (army.mnd.gov.tw) Javelin is a shoulder-fired missile built to hit armored vehicles, and Taiwan is still adding to that stockpile. In December 2025, the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible sale to Taiwan of 1,050 Javelin FGM-148F missiles and 70 lightweight command launch units. (dsca.mil) Taiwanese officials say the island is facing sustained military pressure from Beijing, including more warships and aircraft operating around Taiwan. Reuters reported on April 10 that Taiwan’s government was tracking a rise in Chinese naval activity even as Beijing delivered public messages about peace and cooperation. (reuters.com) The Penghu footage drew notice because it showed the weapons Taiwan would use in the first hours of a sea assault, from a front-line island chain that sits directly on the approach to Taiwan proper. The drill itself was not improvised: Taiwan had published the firing window, closed the surrounding waters, and then carried it out on schedule. (navy.mnd.gov.tw, thedefensenews.com)