Han Kuang 2024: Taiwan’s Biggest Military Drills To Thwart Chinese PLA Invasion Falls Prey To Typhoon Gaemi

By
Sakshi Tiwari
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With the looming threat of a possible Chinese invasion, Taiwan’s significant and highly anticipated annual military exercises, Han Kuang 2024, have come to an unprecedented standstill due to the impact of Typhoon Gaemi.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on July 25 that the Han Kuang military exercises for this year had been canceled because troops were called to help with relief efforts following Typhoon Gaemi.

The 40th edition of the Han Kuang drills began on July 22 and was supposed to conclude on July 26. However, due to the typhoon, the MND announced that tabletop games would be held in place of war games that were originally slated to occur between July 25 and July 26.

The MND announced that the troops formerly tasked with participating in the drills would now support local governments in disaster relief efforts to guarantee the safety of people and their property. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said that Gaemi was still encircling much of Taiwan and its outlying islands.

The Han Kuang drills are Taiwan’s largest military exercises, and each year, they emphasize a new area of military operations. This year’s games were intended to replicate actual warfare as closely as possible. The emphasis was on including unscripted combat situations to evaluate soldiers’ reactions to revised Rules of Engagement (ROE), nighttime operations, and decentralized command.

The MND used the phrase “unscripted” to simplify matters for the general public. Former Han Kuang exercises were prearranged and scripted, allowing participating forces to be aware of the precise location and timing of the “invading force” simulation.

In the run-up to the drills, the MND stated that to accurately mimic actual combat situations, this year’s “enemy attack” simulation could occur at any time, anywhere, and with any weapon system that is currently in use.

Even though the drills were cut short this year, Taiwanese troops carried out anti-landing drills on a strategic river at the beginning of the drills. Military commander Chang Chih-pin said, “We are trying our best to slow them down as much as possible,” alluding to a situation in which the enemy was attempting to make it ashore by deploying rubber boats in the Tamsui River.

He said, “The slower they move, the better for us.”

Moreover, Taiwanese soldiers practiced laying mines and nets to impede the landing of enemy troops as part of an exercise aimed at preventing the capital city from being seized.

The 2024 iteration of Han Kuang drills has been the largest that the island has ever seen and closest to practicing actual defense against an invasion. The Han Kuang 2024 did not include live fire drills on the island of Taiwan, but the soldiers stationed in the frontline islands of Kinmen and Matsu were still ordered to use live ammunition.

Military analysts have observed that Taiwan’s military leadership is now embracing asymmetric warfare, as evidenced by its focus on decentralized command. The main goal of these drills has been to provide soldiers and leaders a chance to practice their defense strategies and become acquainted with the terrain they would be guarding in the event of a conflict.

In previous iterations, military personnel from the Army’s Aviation and Special Forces Command and the Marine Corps frequently assumed the role of “red” forces, simulating invasions, while other military units assumed the role of “blue” defending troops. This time, the red-blue team drills were canceled to properly equip the two special force units for their primary defensive missions.

Air Force fighter jets initially stationed in Taiwan’s west were sent to the eastern air bases of Hualien and Taitung as part of the drills, simulating an invasion. This was done to see if the country’s fighter jets could maintain combat readiness in its east.

According to the MND, major Taiwanese naval vessels also departed early on July 22 from their home ports, heading to certain coastal sites in anticipation of engaging enemy forces. Additionally, naval mines were set up to help stall the onslaught. Further, in preparation to defend the nation, Taiwanese reservists reported to various locations throughout the country.

Although it was abbreviated due to unforeseen circumstances, the 40th edition of Han Kuang focused on developing a highly realistic and practical response to a potential Chinese invasion. Additionally, it took place months after China conducted a simulation of an invasion of the island.

File Image: China’s Simulated Attack on Taiwan

The Threat Of An Invasion Hangs In The Air

China considers Taiwan a renegade Chinese province and has vowed to unite the self-ruled island with the Chinese mainland, often hinting at an armed invasion.

In May of this year, following the inauguration of the new President Lai Ching-te, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “punishment drills” that surrounded the island, simulated armed attacks and blockades, carried out mock assaults with bombers, and rehearsed boarding operations on ships.

More recently, assessments carried out by the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals and the Yomiuri Shimbun revealed that the Chinese military appears to be preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan by using 2D mock-ups of civilian roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships for training purposes.

Satellite images captured by the US space firm Planet Labs PBC in May revealed a garrison in Chengde, Hebei Province, where the Chinese military appeared to be conducting exercises simulating an invasion of Taiwan. These images showed two 170-meter-long ship outlines drawn on the ground, believed to represent RORO ships.

These ships will be instrumental in launching an amphibious invasion of the self-ruled island, as previously explained by EurAsian Times.

China continues to exploit commercial shipping for sealift
Chinese main battle tanks are seen being loaded aboard the commercial Ro-Ro ferry Zhong Hua Fu Zing. (China Military Online)

Interestingly, as of July 24, at least three Ro-Ro ferries from the Bohai Ferry Group have been stationed off the coast of Nan’ao Island in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. This was stated by defense analyst Tom Shugart wrote on X: “If I had to guess, I’d imagine they’re doing a landing/recovery exercise to/from the beach.”

Against that backdrop, it is evident that the PLA forces have been strengthening their capability and practicing an invasion. The Chinese invasion threat has never gone off the table, which adds to the importance of the Han Kuang-style exercises.

As Taiwan launched the drills on July 22, Chinese state media rebuked the island, citing Chinese military experts. The state-owned publication Global Times reported on the same day that experts from the mainland criticized the drill, describing it as a futile attempt to prevent reunification by force.

They claimed that the forces advocating for “Taiwan independence” had overstated their capabilities and that the island’s military was unable to maintain its soldiers or obtain supplies.

 

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