Taiwan conducts Tian Ma drills at Pingtung Base

PINGTUNG (TVBS News) — Taiwan conducted the Tian Ma military drills at Pingtung's Jialutung base on Monday (July 3) for the first time, aiming to carry out more "realistic" exercises.

Jialutung is considered a potential landing base by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), prompting the decision to relocate the drills from the previous Jiupeng base in Pingtung.

The military exercises took place at sea, with prior notification and restrictions issued to prevent boats from entering the designated area.

During the drills, military personnel targeted objects positioned 2,000 meters away using missiles mounted on High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, commonly known as "Humvees."

Previous military drills conducted by Taiwan have faced criticism for appearing overly staged. The military invited newcomers to participate in the exercises to enhance transparency, showcasing their skills.

Naturally, some mistakes were made, including an incorrect target hit by one of the shooters. In response, a military spokesperson attributed the error to heightened emotions experienced by the newcomers while expressing confidence in their overall abilities.