Taiwan to hold five-day combat readiness drills amid Chinese patrols

Taiwan's military is set to commence a five-day "Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise" on Monday, a move designed to enhance its ability to respond to potential conflict. This drill is part of ongoing modernization plans that prioritize realistic training scenarios over more traditional, scripted events. The exercise will involve actual troops, terrain, and equipment, operating in real-time to hone command mechanisms and combat capabilities across all levels of the armed forces.

The primary objective, according to the defense ministry, is to familiarize units with combat practices and the battlefield environment during the readiness deployment phase. A key focus will be strengthening the rapid transition from peacetime operations to wartime readiness and executing priority deployment actions. The ministry emphasized that the exercise will improve joint operations command and control, logistical sustainment, and battlefield preparation.

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The main objective is to train units at all levels to become familiar with combat practices and the battlefield environment during the readiness deployment phase, and to strengthen rapid peacetime-to-wartime transition and priority deployment actions.

This announcement comes shortly after Taiwan's defense ministry reported that China had conducted another "combat readiness patrol" in the vicinity of the island. The patrol involved 21 Chinese aircraft, including J-16 fighters, KJ-500 early warning and control aircraft, and Y-20 aerial refuelling aircraft. Notably, 19 of these aircraft entered Taiwan's airspace to its southwest and proceeded into the Western Pacific for "long-distance training over open seas."

Taiwan, which China claims as its sovereign territory, faces persistent pressure from Beijing's armed forces operating around the island. The Taiwanese military has been adapting its training to scenarios where China might convert its routine exercises into actual attacks. The upcoming exercise is a continuation of these efforts to bolster defense capabilities in the face of escalating regional tensions.

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The exercise will be conducted with 'actual troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual equipment, and through actual implementation'.