Taiwan launches Han Kuang drills

Taiwan began its annual Han Kuang military exercises on Wednesday, August 5, opening 10 days of drills built less around set-piece displays than around whether the island’s military and civilian systems can keep operating under sustained pressure. The exercise is designed to test 24-hour defense operations, commanders’ ability to adapt when battlefield conditions change, and the role of civilians in air-raid and urban-resilience scenarios. Taiwan’s defense authorities have also folded in temporary communications disruption, a sign that planners are training for interference rather than only a conventional landing. China’s military activity remains the backdrop, with Beijing continuing pressure around the Taiwan Strait as Taipei rehearses for a longer crisis. ### Why are this year’s Han Kuang drills being framed around endurance? The 10-day schedule marks a broader test of staying power. Reuters reported that commanders are being evaluated on their ability to fight “on the fly” when enemy movements do not match expectations, rather than following a fixed script. The Associated Press reported that this year’s emphasis is on flexibility and resilience across both the armed forces and society, instead of mainly showcasing high-end weapons systems. That framing matches Taiwan’s public messaging around urban resilience and civilian participation. ### What is the communications test, and how limited is it? Taiwan’s All-out Defense Mobilization Agency said 14 local governments in central and northern Taiwan will rehearse “mobile communication network obstruction” during the broader urban-resilience exercise. (msn.com) The agency said each region’s air-defense drill will last 30 minutes and include alarm transmission, evacuation, traffic control and disaster rescue. Reuters reported on August 5 that Taiwan was temporarily limiting internet access for the first time during Han Kuang. (apnews.com) The official mobilization notice is narrower than a nationwide blackout: it describes a planned mobile-network obstruction drill tied to specific local governments and regions. ### How much of this involves ordinary civilians, not just soldiers? Taiwan’s defense mobilization authorities said the urban-resilience air-defense drills will be conducted sequentially in southern, central, offshore-island, eastern and northern regions on August 7 and August 10 through 13. (adma.mnd.gov.tw) The exercises are meant to combine Han Kuang live-fire training with public sheltering, evacuation and traffic restrictions. The Military News Agency, a Taiwanese defense outlet, said all 368 townships, cities and districts will be assessed this year under air-raid shelter and evacuation guidance issued by the interior ministry. (msn.com) It also said drills will focus on public transport, consumer venues and government institutions, and that local governments can fine people who refuse to comply with civil-defense orders. ### What military equipment and command procedures are being tested? (adma.mnd.gov.tw) The Associated Press reported that newly acquired M1A2T Abrams tanks are among the systems appearing in this year’s exercise. AP also said the drills are taking place across major cities including Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. Reuters reported on August 6 that President Lai Ching-te rode in an armored personnel carrier to a command center during a late-night segment of the exercise, a scenario meant to show how the government would keep functioning in wartime. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) That added a command-continuity element to the field exercises and civil-defense components already underway. ### How does China fit into the timing of these drills? (apnews.com) China remains the central contingency driving the exercise. Taiwan’s government says Han Kuang is intended to prepare for invasion, blockade and coercive pressure from Beijing, which claims the island as its own. AP reported that cross-strait tensions are elevated as Taiwan expands training for resilience and command continuity. (msn.com) Separate reporting cited by the source briefing said Chinese state-linked messaging highlighted amphibious-assault footage during the same period, underscoring the military signaling surrounding the drills. ### What happens next over the coming week? The next publicly scheduled phase is the urban-resilience air-defense exercise on August 7, followed by additional regional drills from August 10 to 13. (apnews.com) Taiwan’s mobilization agency said those events will include alarms, evacuation, sheltering, traffic control and disaster-response procedures. Han Kuang itself runs from August 5 through August 14, according to multiple reports, with military field training and civilian-defense components continuing in parallel. (apnews.com) The sequence will give the clearest public readout on how Taiwan wants to train for disruption, not only for a first strike. (apnews.com) (adma.mnd.gov.tw)