Taipei: Taiwan's military announced that it had successfully executed separate drills aimed at countering an amphibious landing and conducting stay-behind operations such as sabotage and ambushes behind enemy lines as part of the ongoing live-fire Han Kuang exercises.
According to Focus Taiwan, early Wednesday witnessed the Matsu Defense Command performing a live-fire exercise on Nangan Island, replicating a scenario where enemy forces attempt an amphibious assault. The exercise commenced with the deployment of long-range fire from 240 mm howitzers, supplemented by 155 mm artillery and machine gun fire targeting an approaching adversarial fleet.
Reconnaissance drones played a pivotal role by tracking enemy vessels and providing real-time intelligence. Following this phase, troops utilized 40 mm automatic grenade launchers and T74 machine guns against simulated landing craft, while attack drones executed strikes on the vessels.
Matsu Defense Command Commander Yin Chang-jung elaborated on the strategy, emphasizing the use of long-range artillery to strike key enemy facilities such as ports and airports, followed by the employment of artillery and machine guns to deter the amphibious assault. Drones were deployed for precision strikes on both sea and land targets. Yin highlighted the natural defensive advantages of the granite terrain and tunnel networks in Kinmen and Matsu, which help preserve combat power. He also noted Matsu's capability to produce some drone components using 3D printing technology.
On Tuesday, the Marine Corps' Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit executed stay-behind operations following coastal strike and defense drills in Kaohsiung, as reported by the Military News Agency (MNA) on Wednesday. At a port in the Kaohsiung area, troops quickly unloaded equipment and supplies from M109 assault boats, employed camouflage to conceal the boats, and dispersed to avoid detection. Utilizing civilian vehicles, they traveled to safe houses to prepare for covert operations.
The MNA reported that troops used the Team Awareness Kit, a software platform for real-time battlefield coordination, along with reconnaissance drones to conduct surveillance and relay intelligence. They planned missions through briefings and war games before infiltrating a simulated enemy facility at night from multiple directions. Using mutual cover, the teams conducted searches, simulated sabotage, and placed explosives before withdrawing.
The stay-behind operations were designed to simulate troops remaining behind enemy lines to engage in reconnaissance, sabotage, and harassment activities after an enemy advance. According to the MNA, the exercise aimed to test the capability of small teams to disrupt enemy forces while bolstering defensive units and delaying an advancing force.