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Taiwan’s Han Kuang Exercise puts military and public to the attack-readiness test
- Air and naval forces deployed on first day of drills to counter a full-scale attack from the PLA
- Some of this year’s activities in response to mainland military manoeuvres in August and April, analyst says
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![Taiwan’s military is being tested on its ability to respond to a full-scale PLA attack. Photo: CNA](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/07/24/6d34fd09-ba43-495d-986b-1520922be2bc_8b865617.jpg?itok=CaD84dLv&v=1690203313)
Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwan launched its annual mega war games on Monday to test the response of its forces to a cross-strait conflict.
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The five-day Han Kuang Exercise – the most diverse and comprehensive in decades – comes as the People’s Liberation Army has reportedly expanded its missile force and deployed DF-17 medium-range ballistic missiles in provinces facing the Taiwan Strait.
It also comes as the island’s military reported that nine soldiers were injured – two seriously – in an explosion of a 120mm mortar at an ammunition warehouse in Keelung in northern Taiwan on Monday afternoon. The cause was under investigation.
On the first day of the drills, the island mobilised reservists to back up regular forces in homeland defence and tested civilians on their responses to air and missile attacks.
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