Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Two Army brigades launched a week-long live-fire exercise in Central Taiwan on Saturday after a six-year hiatus to test the combat readiness of ground troops amid the rising military threat from China.
The seven-day drill carried out by the Taoyuan-based Army’s 269th mechanized infantry brigade and the Kaohsiung-based ROC Marine Corps’ 99th brigade simulates combat scenarios in Chiayi County, with the Central Taiwan-based 10th Army Corps Command presiding over the exercise.
According to the scenario, the 269th mechanized infantry brigade is designated the defending “blue team” while the 99th brigade acts as the invading “red team.”
The ongoing drill titled “Chang Ching” (長青) or “evergreen” is intended to test the combat-related command efficiency of both brigades.
This is the first time since 2017 a Chang Ching drill has been held independently. Over the past five years, the Army incorporated the Chang Ching drill into other annual Army exercises.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that the Army used to hold annual Chang Ching exercise in Central Taiwan, Chang Tai (長泰) exercises in northern Taiwan, and Chang Shang (長勝) drills in southern Taiwan to test troop capabilities in terms of joint exercises to combat a Chinese invasion.
The brigade-level exercise tests whether each unit is being sufficiently trained on intelligence, command, interception, communication and logistic support in the event a cross-Taiwan Strait war breaks out, Su said.
In the ongoing Chang Ching drill, the 269th mechanized infantry brigade is equipped with variants of the domestic Clouded Leopard armored vehicle as well as the latest developed drones, which are expected to undergo rigorous tests during the weeklong exercise, according to Su.
U.S. military consultants are likely to preside over the exercises with Taiwanese military personnel, he added.
