Taiwan kicks off Han Kuang exercises

Taiwan began its annual Han Kuang exercises on August 5 with a 10-day drill designed to test how commanders and civilians operate when communications are disrupted and enemy actions do not follow a fixed script. Taiwan’s defense ministry said the live-force phase of Han Kuang 42 runs through August 14 and is built around continuous scenarios rather than prearranged sequences. (apnews.com) The exercise includes live fire, reserve mobilization, civil defense activity and, for the first time, temporary limits on mobile internet speeds in parts of the island. Foreign coverage and Taiwan’s own military briefings said the drill puts unusual weight on flexibility, sustainment and resilience under pressure from China’s military activity. (nbcnews.com) (adma.mnd.gov.tw) ### Why is this year’s Han Kuang drill structured differently? July 28 set the outline when Major General Lu Wen-yuan of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said the exercise would use a “continuous scenario mode” to train forces to respond in realistic combat conditions. Taiwan’s military news agency said the drill is divided into four phases: deployment for war preparation, force protection and preservation, joint counter-landing operations, and deep defense with protracted operations. Reuters and AP reporting on August 5 said commanders were being tested on whether they could adapt “on the fly” when enemy movements diverged from expectations. That approach moves the exercise away from a tightly choreographed display and toward decision-making under incomplete information. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) ### What are troops and civilians actually doing during the 10 days? The August 5-14 exercise includes live-fire events, cross-region troop movements, logistics support, battlefield medical support and protection of key facilities, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry briefing. The ministry also said training items include anti-blockade escort operations, mobilization production conversion, dispersal of materiel and “all-society defense resilience.” (mna.mnd.gov.tw) Taiwan’s All-out Defense Mobilization Agency said manpower mobilization under the Tung-Hsin exercise is being conducted alongside Han Kuang to organize reserve forces after mobilization orders and restore combat readiness through pre-combat training. AP reported that the broader drill simulates a response to a possible Chinese invasion, while outside coverage said civilian factories and other non-military systems are also being folded into the scenario. (straitstimes.com) ### Why are internet speeds being limited? August 5 marked the first Han Kuang exercise to deliberately slow mobile internet speeds, according to Reuters and NBC reporting. The stated purpose was to test how civilians would communicate if bandwidth became scarce during a crisis. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) ABC News reported that this year’s design emphasizes military and societal flexibility and resilience rather than primarily showcasing advanced weapons. That report cited experts who said the structure suggests closer alignment with U.S. military thinking as Taiwan faces sustained pressure from China. (adma.mnd.gov.tw) ### How do the drills reflect Taiwan’s view of a possible conflict? Taiwan’s July 28 military briefing said the scenario begins with Chinese forces using annual exercises as cover for preparations to attack Taiwan, followed by blockade and fire support for an amphibious landing. Taiwan’s response in the scenario includes mobilization, obstacle placement, dispersal of supplies, defensive mining, joint anti-blockade actions, coastal strikes and layered inland defense if forces break through beach areas. (straitstimes.com) The same briefing said the exercise is centered on improving “multi-domain denial” and “resilient defense” capabilities. It also named mobile logistics, cross-regional force deployment, battlefield medical rescue and central-local government coordination as key training tasks. (abcnews.com) ### What happens next during Han Kuang? Taiwan’s All-out Defense Mobilization Agency said urban resilience air-defense drills linked to Han Kuang will be held on August 7 and from August 10 to 13 across southern, central, offshore-island, eastern and northern regions. Each regional event is scheduled to last 30 minutes and includes alarms, evacuation and sheltering, traffic control and disaster rescue. (mna.mnd.gov.tw) August 14 is the final day of the live-force phase. Taiwan’s defense ministry has said the exercise is meant to verify command-and-control, mobilization efficiency, logistics endurance and whole-of-society coordination under wartime conditions. (adma.mnd.gov.tw) (mna.mnd.gov.tw)