Houston Community News >> Taiwan Military Displays Ability to Repel Assaults by Special Forces

5/17/2007-- Taiwan's military displayed its ability to repel an assault by special forces and amphibious units, while bad weather made it tough going in Hsinchu County Thousands of soldiers yesterday fought to reclaim a military base in northern Taiwan after it was occupied by "Chinese" special forces in a mock drill.

A total of 4,050 soldiers were mobilized to recover a base in Hukou (湖口), Hsinchu County, from enemy forces during yesterday's drill, part of the annual Han Kuang series of military exercises.

"Through the drill today, we can see how our army boys cooperate with each other when the base in Hukou was attacked and invaded by the enemy's special forces," said Major General Yao Pei-yung (姚培壅), the commanding officer of yesterday's drill.

Yao explained that the drill was designed to simulate a scenario in which a People's Liberation Army (PLA) special forces unit lands in Hukou and tries to take over the base. The enemy successfully occupied the base, home to an army armor unit. The armored forces then regrouped and tried to recover their territory.

The drill was scheduled to begin at 8:30am, but was postponed because of heavy rain. Around 10am, the drill began with the "Red Team" -- simulating the Chinese army -- attempting a helicopter assault.

During the scenario, IDF Ching-kuo and F-16 Falcon fighters were supposed to simulate PLA Air Force (PLAAF) SU-27 Flanker and A-5 Fantan fighters. However, the military announced that the missions were canceled because of poor visibility and rain.

AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters and OH-58D Kiowa attack helicopters simulated PLAAF aircraft, flying in and providing cover for the two CH-47SD Chinook transport helicopters simulating an airborne assault by special forces.

More than 40 Humvees, which were equipped with 50-caliber machine guns and loaded with soldiers, surrounded the landing zone while the Red Team's soldiers were trying to take over the base's command center.

Soldiers began to open fire (with blanks), and the gunbattle lasted more than 10 minutes.

Then, CM-11 Brave Tiger tanks and CM-21 armored personnel carriers began to attack the Red Team. The tanks fired their main cannons several times, using real ammo aimed at targets nearby.

The Taiwanese armor then gradually closed in and encircled the Red Team, eventually retaking the command center. The entire drill lasted approximately one hour.

"As you may see, our tanks were very slow and our soldiers did not run very fast in the field. I asked them not to proceed at top speed, because it is extremely muddy and slippery because of the rain. We do not want any injuries," Yao said.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) were originally scheduled to observe yesterday's drill, but they canceled.

The Chinese-language United Evening News yesterday said Chen had canceled his trip to observe the drill at the suggestion of the military, which said he would bring bad luck on the drill after having attended a service for Major Wei Tsu-yuan (魏子淵) and Captain Chan Chia-chun (詹嘉鈞), who were killed in a plane crash.

The Presidential Office said the allegation was "groundless."

Chen presented awards to the men's families and posthumously promoted Wei to lieutenant colonel and Chan to major. Wei and Chan were killed when their F-5F Tiger fighter jet crashed into a military complex last Friday.

Ministry of National Defense Spokesman Rear Admiral Wu Chi-fang (吳季方) said that this year's Han Kuang Exercise was designed for joint operations.

"This exercise is carried out island-wide. But, we do not make public every drill because of a concern for security," Wu said.

In Hualien, air force personnel carried out a drill, while in Pingtung, another drill simulated a joint anti-amphibious-landing operation.

At a beach in Taichung County, the Army annihilated Red Team vessels as they tried to land.

(Contributed by Taipei Times)