Army personnel stationed in outlying Penghu County conducted monthly live-fire drills Wednesday morning to simulate the use of artillery and tanks to repel invading Chinese forces.
According to the Penghu Defense Command, the drill began with the firing of flares using 105mm and 155mm howitzers, followed by the firing of 50mm machine guns and T74 squad automatic weapons at targets representing enemy forces attempting a beach landing.
The drill concluded with M60A3 battle tanks firing at targets placed in the sea, the command said.
Sources close to the matter previously told CNA that the military held live-fire drills every two months in Penghu and every three months on Kinmen, Matzu, and Dongyin, three Taipei-controlled islands off the coast of China.
However, the military has increased the frequency of such drills in response to almost daily incursions by People’s Liberation Army warships and warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zones over the past year.
As a result, drills are now held monthly in Penghu, and every two months in Kinmen, Matzu, and Dongyin, according to the source.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel