TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In the early hours of Tuesday (July 11), Taiwan's military conducted test flights with F-16V fighter jets and the C-130H transport aircraft at Taitung Airport in preparation for the upcoming Han Kuang Exercises scheduled for late July.
F-16V fighter jets flew at low altitudes above the tarmac, testing their designated routes but refrained from landing. The C-130H landed at the eastern Taiwan airport transport aircraft where military personnel unloaded two boxes suspected of containing ammunition.
This military drill marked the military's first utilization of Taitung's civilian airport to evaluate its capacity as a backup facility.
Military Expert Eric Shih explained, "With the PRC's increased projection capability, no area in Taiwan, including the east, is considered safe, primarily due to the absence of aerial refueling tankers."
He added: "The purpose of this exercise is to enhance the survival rate of our fighters in potential future military conflicts."
Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises are scheduled between July 24 and July 28.
