army

Mortar blast at ammunition depot leaves 9 soldiers injured, two seriously

paramedic attends to injured soldiers at ammunition depot with live mortar rounds still scattered on the ground
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Nine soldiers were injured, two seriously, when a mortar round exploded while being handled at an army ammunition depot in northern Taiwan today, July 24. According to a press statement by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, a 120 mm mortar round exploded during an inspection by technical personnel at the Hsiang Feng army base in Keelung City at around 3:00 pm. Fire Department paramedics risked their own lives to attend to the two seriously injured soldiers, who lay beside several

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Military reservists on 14-day refresher training course amid rising threats

army reservists armed on training march
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Members of Taiwan’s reserve military force embarked on a 10 kilometer march in Hsinchu City today as part of a 14-day refresher training course designed to keep them up to date and physical ready should they be needed for disaster relief or defense of the country. Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an paid tribute to the soldiers today, expressing gratitude for their service and providing refreshments for the troops. Mayor Kao said that in order to maintain peace and stability across

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Army, Navy joint military exercises at key strategic beach on Taiwan’s northwest coast

composite image showing army troops on shore and naval vessel during military exercise
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A Taiwan ROC Navy Tank landing ship maneuvered close to a beach in Taoyuan City identified as a key strategic landing beach if the PLA were to launch an invasion, during joint army-navy combat drills yesterday, March 8. Zhuwei Beach, adjacent to Zhuwei Fishing Port, is one of 14 beaches labeled as “red beaches” in Ian Easton’s 2017 book, The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia. The beaches mentioned in Easton’s book include Jinshan (North), Jinshan

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1 dead, 1 seriously injured after speeding car slams into military truck

composite image of car and truck after crash
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

One man died and another was seriously injured after a civilian car crashed into the back of an army truck on combat readiness exercises in Taichung City this morning, February 24. Taichung City Fire Bureau received a report of a serious traffic accident on Huanhe Road in Dali District at 4:52 am. Two ambulances and two fire trucks were dispatched to the scene of the crash. Firefighters found two men who had been thrown out of a white Ford sedan

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M41A3 “Walker Bulldog” tanks retired after more than 60 years of service in Taiwan

M41A3 Walker Bulldog tanks in action in live fire military drills on Kinmen Island, Taiwan
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Military officials have announced that a decommissioning ceremony will be held later this week to retire the aging M41A3 “Walker Bulldog” tank after 63 years of service in the ROC Army. The M41A3 was developed by the US military immediately following World War II. Mounting a 76 mm main gun, the light tank was designed for close infantry support and rapid airborne deployment. With 5,000 units manufactured, the M41A3 played important roles in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The M41A3

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Testing of made in Taiwan armored vehicle vs European cars continues: Last week a Volvo, this week a Škoda

Taiwan army CM-33 Clouded Leopard and Skoda Fabia after minor collision
Military Affairs Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A Taiwan army CM-33 “Clouded Leopard” armored vehicle had a minor collision with a Škoda Fabia during urban combat drills in New Taipei City today, just six days after a similar incident in Taoyuan City. At around 2:00 pm, the 8-wheeled, 22-tonne domestically-produced CM-33 driven by a 24-year-old army sergeant from the Guandu Division, hit the rear of the Czech-made supermini car in front of the Zhuwei MRT Station in Tamsui District. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the accident, and

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Armored vehicle collides with “Swedish tank” during urban combat drill in Taoyuan City

composite image of armored vehicle and civilian vehicle
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An army armored vehicle collided with a civilian car while on combat exercises in Taoyuan City this morning, badly damaging the Volvo sedan, but fortunately nobody was injured in the accident. According to reports in United Daily News, and Liberty Times, the eight-wheel, 22-ton, CM-33 “Clouded Leopard” was engaged in a combat readiness and reconnaissance drill in Luzhu District this morning when it side-swiped a Volvo V40 sedan driven by a 30-year-old man, named Huang, on Nanqing Road at around

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Paratrooper uninjured after entangling in ropes and landing on road

composite image showing paratroopers jumping and landing
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense today said that a paratrooper who landed bodily on a public road adjacent to a landing field after becoming entangled in his parachute cords, Monday, had not been injured in the incident. The official military statement said that the soldier was properly qualified, there was no problem with the standard operating procedures, and although landing on the asphalt road was “not ideal,” the soldier was not injured. Members of the public watching the aerial activities

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Special Ops forces practice urban warfare drills on 505 kilometer long march

troops in urban combat operations
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Army Special Operations Command is currently conducting urban tactical exercises in northern Taiwan as part of a 21-day, 505-kilometer tactical mission march training that began on March 9. Special warfare officers and troops in full combat gear, and armed with T91 rifles and machine guns were seen around Tamsui Zhuwei MRT station, and along the Tamsui Riverside bike way this morning, March 13. ROC Army Aviation and Special Forces Command said that this is part of an annual routine tactical

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Air Force Black Hawk helicopter carrying high-ranking officers crashes: 8 dead, 5 survivors

crashed black hawk helicopter
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Eight people are dead, including the chief of armed forces in Taiwan, and other high ranking officers, after an Air Force Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of Wulai District, New Taipei City, this morning, January 2. Ministry of Defense (MOD) spokesperson Shi Shunwen told reporters that Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴) and his entourage were on their way to Dong’ao, Yilan when they lost contact. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, carrying a total of

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Paratrooper in Critical Condition after Chutes Fail to Open

a paratrooper plummets after his chute fails to fully deploy
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A 26 year-old soldier remains in a critical condition this evening after his parachute failed to open during a jump early this morning, May 17. Commander Chin Liang-feng of the Taiwan ROC Army’s Aviation and Special Forces Command jumped from a C-130 airplane at 1,300 feet, during a practice session for the upcoming Han Kuang military exercises, at around 6:00am this morning, over the Chingchuankang Air Force Base in Taichung City. Chin’s main chute failed to open completely, sending the

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