【Military Subplane】Author: Sky Wolf
This year's "Han Kuang 40" exercise in Taiwan was originally scheduled to be held from 22 to 26 July, and it was advertised as an "unscripted" exercise that was closest to actual combat. However, due to the "actual combat" scene brought about by Typhoon "Gemei", the Taiwan military failed to continue the drill and ended it one day ahead of schedule, which was caricatured as "still acting."
▲Typhoon "Gemei"
Before the exercise, Lai Ching-te, in his capacity as "commander-in-chief of the three armed services," demanded that the Taiwan military exercise be conducted in earnest and in a "scriptless, actual combat" manner. For the first time in this year's exercise, a "scriptless" exercise was carried out, that is, officers and men were not allowed to know the content of the drill in advance. The exercise also placed special emphasis on "night operations" in order to enhance the Taiwan military's ability to fight at night.
However, a number of problems were exposed during the exercise. For example, in the early morning of the 23rd, during the Huacui Bridge closure exercise, the soldiers lined up and squatted in an unsheltered place, which was criticized as completely uncombatable. In addition, when Lai Qingde inspected the Hualien Jiashan base, the two fighters waited for nearly two hours to do nothing after they were launched in advance, and were ridiculed by Taiwan netizens as "just acting, waiting for Lai Qingde to come and see."
▲ "Han Kuang 40" exercise
A major focus of this year's exercise is the "decentralized command and control" exercise, which simulates the independent combat capability of the Taiwan military after the chain of command is severed. This scenario could be a "beheading" of the top brass of the Taiwanese military or a flight of the Taiwanese military leader from Taiwan during the war, and the "decapitation operation" means destroying the enemy's most important military command base or killing the enemy's head, resulting in the chain of command being severed. The drill reflected the worries of the "Taiwan independence" leaders about the gap in military strength between the two sides of the strait and their fear of the PLA's "beheading" operation.
For the first time this year, the exercise cancelled the "imaginary enemy" and focused on "defensive operations." In previous years, the "Han Kuang" exercise divided the attacking side and the defending side - that is, the red and blue armies confronted each other, but this year the attacking side was canceled, so that the defenders could only practice "against the air". A responsible person of Taiwan's defense organization said that the decision was made by the "chief of staff" of the Taiwan military, but some analysts believe that it may be a United States directive behind it, requiring the Taiwan military to focus on defensive operations. Military scholar Jie Zhong said that the abolition of the "imaginary enemy" is a "reversal of the wheel," which affects the effectiveness of the exercise and the verification of the combat readiness of the troops.
▲ The Taiwan warship that left the military port
Not only that, the "Han Kuang-40" exercise also focused on the ability to provide strategic materials for Taiwan assistance and strengthen "defense resilience" in wartime. For the first time this year, the subject of "Overseas Material Transfer and Traffic Operation Control" was practiced in Hualien Port, simulating the transportation of materials under the situation that Taiwan's main island is blockaded by the People's Liberation Army. In addition, it also includes drills to protect Taiwan's major civilian infrastructure, involving anti-air landing at airports, attack and defense at ports, and anti-special offensive operations for MRT.
Lai Qingde's eagerness to strengthen the so-called "defensive resilience" is not only the result of United States pressure, but also the result of his intention to "seek independence by force." Lai Qingde established the "Whole Society Defense Resilience Committee", declaring that he would strengthen the overall defense resilience of Taiwan society. However, the DPP authorities' abduction of ordinary people as "human shields" has aroused widespread resentment and suspicion.
▲Lai Qingde inspecting the "Han Kuang No. 40" exercise
The various arrangements and problems in the "Han Kuang-40" exercise have exposed the Taiwan military's inadequacy in dealing with actual war scenarios and the sober understanding of the "Taiwan independence" forces regarding the gap in military strength between the two sides of the strait. Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities tried to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Taiwan military through such means as "unscripted" exercises, "decentralized command and control," and strengthening "defense resilience," but when confronted with actual conditions, the results of the exercises were greatly reduced. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is dealing with the "Taiwan independence" armed forces like catching a turtle in an urn. The illusions and attempts of the DPP authorities about "Taiwan independence" will eventually put the Taiwan people in a predicament, and "resisting reunification by force" is a dead end.