Military Affairs

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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Tourist hotspot transformed into missile launch pad as Taiwan counters Chinese military threat

mobile missile launchers in southern Taiwan
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , , ,

Tourists visiting a popular scenic spot on Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County today were confronted with a large mobile missile unit deployed in the carpark, as Taiwan’s military responded to Chinese air and sea maneuvers around the island. According to media reports, the anti-ship missiles were deployed at the location yesterday evening, April 9, and in the past have only been deployed on military bases and military training grounds. The fact that the missiles are deployed in such

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What response as Chinese military surrounds and harasses Taiwan?

Taiwan military anti-aircraft gun juxtaposed with 101 building, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s military forces are on the alert and actively responding to provocative actions by the Chinese military as China lays siege to the island in a “rehearsal” for an encirclement and possible invasion of the island nation, but no international friends have come forward in any significant way to deter the aggressive act. On the first day of a three-day exercise dubbed “United Sword” by People’s Republic of China, Chinese warships and aircraft crossed the once-respected center line of the

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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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Air Force plane makes emergency belly landing in southern Taiwan

early warning aircraft after emergency belly landing
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

All crew members are safe after an emergency belly-landing of E-2K early warning aircraft in Pingtung County this morning, November 25, Taiwan’s Air Force Command said in a press release. According to reports, the E-2K belonging to the Early Warning Aircraft 2nd Squadron of the Electronic Warfare Brigade departed at 9:50 am on a routine training mission. When preparing to land shortly after 11:00 am, an abnormality in the landing gear was reported. Flight officer, Major Chang Wei-ye, landed the

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Former defence chief touts civilian defence force: Ukraine’s will to resist the enemy a lesson for Taiwan

screenshot of Lee Hsi-ming interview
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s former defence chief (Chief of General Staff), Admiral Lee Hsi-ming, said that if Taiwan had a civilian territorial defence force it would make the Chinese Communist Party think twice about launching an invasion of the country, citing the example of Ukraine, in an interview with Liberty Times Network today, October 7. Lee, who currently serves as a senior research fellow of the Washington-based Project 2049 Institute, said that Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year, and Russian troops in

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Chinese warships appear off Taiwan’s east coast ahead of Pelosi visit

PLA type 055 missile destroyer
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A Chinese missile destroyer and a missile frigate were detected 45 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan’s Orchid Island this morning, as tensions rise ahead of speculation that US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will arrive later today and meet with Taiwan’s parliamentary body tomorrow. A visit by Pelosi, second-in-line to the American Presidency would mark the highest level visit of an American official since then House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997. While Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Pilot rescued after fighter plane crashes into ocean

Taiwan Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

An ROC Air Force fighter jet crashed into the ocean off Taiwan’s east coast this morning, and the pilot was rescued after ejecting from the aircraft, according the Ministry of National Defense. At 11:25 am, The Dassault Mirage 2000 crashed into the Pacific Ocean around 10 nautical miles off the coast of Taitung County after taking off from the Taitung Chihhang Air Base at 10:08 am. Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said that the Ministry of National Defense had dispatched

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US Navy destroyer transits the Taiwan Strait

composite image USS Ralph Johnson and Taiwan Strait
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A US Navy guided-missile destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait today, February 26, and turned on its Automated Ship Identification System (AIS) – a clear signal that the US military wanted everybody to be aware of the ship’s presence in the key waterway. Chinese think tank South China Sea Probing Initiative was first to announce the transit in a Tweet this morning, noting that the “USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) is transiting the #TaiwanStrait, with an[sic] USN EP-3E providing ISR support from

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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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