Air Defense Drill Set for Northern Taiwan Tomorrow; Sirens to Sound, Mobile Networks to Slow

An extensive air defense drill, part of the 2026 "Urban Resilience" exercise, is scheduled for August 13th in Northern Taiwan. The drill will encompass seven key administrative regions: Yilan County, Keelung City, Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu City, and Hsinchu County. The exercise is set to run for 30 minutes, from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM.

The drill's objectives include practicing the transmission and dissemination of air raid sirens, coordinating evacuation procedures, implementing traffic control measures, and conducting disaster rescue operations. All government agencies, military units, schools, organizations, companies, and the public within the designated drill areas are required to cooperate. Failure to comply can result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000, as stipulated by Article 25 of the Civil Defense Act.

In addition to the physical drills, the National Communications Commission (NCC) will conduct a "mobile network speed reduction drill" in 14 local government areas across central and northern Taiwan. This specific exercise aims to test the government's response capabilities during periods of bandwidth limitations. The NCC previously conducted a similar drill in seven central Taiwanese counties on August 10th.

Authorities have assured the public that the 119 emergency hotline, including voice calls via mobile and landlines, as well as SMS services, will remain unaffected during the drill. Transportation services, including flights, ships, trains, high-speed rail, buses, and MRT systems, will operate as usual. However, passengers disembarking or arriving will be subject to evacuation procedures, and vehicles exiting highways will also need to comply with traffic control measures.

The "Urban Resilience" exercise is designed to bolster national defense education and deepen public awareness of air defense preparedness. It is being conducted in phases across different regions of Taiwan from August 7th to August 13th, integrating with the larger Han Kuang military exercises.