Taiwan’s military began a five-day combat readiness drill on Monday as part of efforts to modernise its armed forces and shift training towards more realistic war scenarios.

The exercise, known as the Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise, will run until Friday and forms part of Taiwan’s annual joint operations training programme.

Focus on Realistic Wartime Scenarios

According to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, the drill is designed to help units at all levels become familiar with combat procedures and battlefield conditions during the critical readiness deployment phase.

The exercise will emphasise rapid transitions from peacetime to wartime operations, while testing priority deployments and operational coordination.

Officials said the training would be conducted using “actual troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual equipment”.

Preparing for a Sudden Chinese Attack

Taiwan has increasingly tailored its military planning around a scenario in which China could transform one of its regular military exercises around the island into an actual attack with little warning.

The latest exercise is intended to strengthen command-and-control systems, logistical support networks and battlefield preparation capabilities.

Military planners will also focus on improving joint operations between different branches of Taiwan’s armed forces.

Chinese Aircraft Continue Operations Near Taiwan

The drill coincided with another large-scale Chinese military presence near Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said China deployed 21 military aircraft near the island on Sunday, including J-16 fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and Y-20 aerial refuelling planes.

According to Taipei, 19 of the aircraft entered airspace southwest of Taiwan before proceeding into the western Pacific for what China described as long-range training missions.

Taiwan said it dispatched its own forces to monitor and respond to the activity.

Rising Military Pressure

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Taipei rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says Chinese military operations around the island are intended to pressure Taiwan into accepting Beijing’s authority.

Taiwan regularly conducts military exercises to strengthen its defensive capabilities. Earlier this month, the military carried out live-fire drills involving its newly acquired US-made HIMARS rocket systems.

The island’s main annual military exercise, the Han Kuang Exercise war games, is expected to take place in August.

(with inputs from Reuters)