Taiwan's Han Kuang Military Drills Start with Mobilizing Reservists

TaiwanPlus News

Thousands of soldiers are gathering across Taiwan for the country’s biggest military exercise, Han Kuang 41. That includes a record 22,000 reservists called up for the drills.

Transcript

00:00It's a big day for Taiwan as it begins what is the country's largest annual military drills,

00:05known as the Hanguang Exercises, which simulates how Taiwan would defend

00:09against an all-out invasion from China, and that begins with mobilization.

00:14The Hanguang drills have taken place annually for decades,

00:17but this time they're larger than ever and extended from five days to ten days.

00:24Here in northern Taiwan, soldiers from the 206th Infantry Brigade

00:28gathered to receive instructions.

00:31Every one of them is a reservist, having already completed military service,

00:35but called back to serve.

00:38Some are learning how to handle weapons like machine guns and artillery,

00:42while others are learning tactics and setting the location of their deployment.

00:47It's all part of a push by the MND to make training as realistic as possible.

00:52The challenge of this year is, of course, we've always said that there's a statement,

00:56that there's no script, there's a scenario, but there's no script.

01:00So that it can help the troops have more efficient ability to develop.

01:06But this is only one group of soldiers, and for the next few days,

01:09a record 22,000 reservists will be called up for Hanguang.

01:14The vast majority won't be on the front lines, but will serve as support for the main army.

01:19That way, Taiwan can be more flexible in handling the variety of threats posed by China.

01:24After these exercises are completed, many will move on and join other units in the larger drill,

01:43which will happen across the entire country.

01:46Although it's only the first day of Hanguang, military officers tell me that it's one of the most important.

01:52They say that mobilization efforts like this one here

01:54is part of an effort to quickly turn ordinary citizens into soldiers.

01:59Andy Xue and Jaime Okon in Taoyuan for Taoyuan Plus.

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