TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A CH-47 Chinook helicopter lands abruptly in Kaohsiung's Tian-shan military base as Taiwan conducts a drill of enemy forces raiding army camps on Wednesday (Jan. 11), ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The drills also saw the use of new military equipment, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) purchased by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) last year.
The drones can scout enemy forces and transmit images back to Taiwan's military bases during battle.
However, not anyone can man the UAVs, Platoon Sergeant Ma Rong-wei explained.
"Mandatory lessons must be given first," he said, adding that soldiers "need to obtain the relevant certificate from the Civil Aeronautics Administration."
Then, they have to take a refresher training course during their time in the military to reach the level of proficiency, before they can be a UAV operator.
During the drills, "enemy forces" wearing red helmets fall down in mock defeat as Taiwan's army demonstrate defensive strategies on CM11 Brave Tiger battle tanks, CM33, and CM34 "Clouded Leopard" armored vehicles.
Meanwhile, Bell AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters were also called in to provide additional support to troops on the ground.
The military drills conducted this spring has set the scenario as "a group of military forces along the southeast coast of Fujian implementing their annual special combat training, when suddenly, a group of more than 30 people launched an anti-armor weapons assault."
Despite China's recent military activities around the nation, Taiwan's military did not explicitly point out to the nation's current, biggest potential threat when asked by the media.
Even so, Taiwan's military exercise is a pointed way of highlighting its defense capabilities in the face of animosity across the strait.
