- Taiwan’s war games reveal the 10-day Han Kuang drill for practicing command and control, including the ability to adapt to changing battlefield conditions and rapidly adjust tactics.
- During the exercise, the troops will test their ability to use a “gray-zone” scenario—one that does not cross the threshold of open hostilities—and, as part of that, to ensure mobile forces can respond within 30 minutes in a scenario involving China, Taiwan’s defense ministry said.
- Han Kuang involves testing mobile units’ ability to reserve and execute command orders, including the ability to execute “backbrief” procedures, as well as to deploy M1A2T Abrams tanks.
According to reports by NBC News and Asharq Al-Awsat,
Taiwan’s military drills involving the Han Kuang exercise have entered their 10th day, with the focus shifting to practicing command and control in a scenario involving China. As AP notes, the scenario is designed to test how quickly forces can respond to an attack by China’s military in a “gray zone” that falls short of open hostilities.
During the exercise, troops will practice using a scenario in the gray zone—one that does not cross the threshold of open hostilities—and, at the same time, deploy mobile forces to respond. According to AP, the scenario involves Taiwan’s situation in which China’s forces may begin an attack on the island, with the drills testing how quickly reserve forces can be mobilized. Reuters also reported that Taiwan is testing its “backbrief” procedures, which the U.S. military says are used by junior officers, among other things, to confirm that they understand the details of a mission for carrying out orders correctly. AP notes that the drills are also intended to test the ability to coordinate and respond to the situation in which China may launch an attack.
AP says that, according to the exercise scenario, Han Kuang involves the use of tanks, with the number of reserve forces involved reaching 5,000 troops. Reuters says the exercise involves as many as 20,000 reservists. According to AP, the drills involve testing the ability to deploy reserve forces from the regime of a “gray zone” scenario.
AP adds that the exercise is designed to test the ability to deploy new M1A2T Abrams tanks. The report says that Taiwan purchased 108 such tanks in 2019, with the rest to be delivered in the coming years. Reuters also reported that the exercises involve testing how quickly the island’s forces can respond to an attack, including by deploying tanks. It adds that the scenario is designed to test the ability to coordinate and respond to the situation in which China may launch an attack.
According to AP, China’s military drills also involve a scenario in which Taiwan is under attack and the island’s forces are expected to respond. The report says that Taiwan’s defense ministry has stated that the drills are aimed at improving readiness and strengthening deterrence.