New Taipei, March 18 (CNA) Taiwan’s first-ever “immediate combat response” drills entered the second day on Tuesday, with the Army simulating anti-landing combat to keep Chinese forces from reaching Taipei, the country’s capital and main economic and political hub.
With the help of M3 amphibious rigs, the Army’s 53rd Engineer Group deployed oil barrels and floating platforms as obstacles in waters off New Taipei’s Tamsui District in a scenario that simulated People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ships and landing craft air cushions approaching the shore.
The troops created two types of obstacles, with the first type consisting of a floating platform, TNT, and an oil barrel. Once detonated, the TNT could destroy or capsize PLA surface vessels.
These obstacles were placed in the Tamsui River estuary to target enemy vessels attempting to enter the river.
The second type of obstacle, deployed further upstream, was a combination of floating platforms, water mines and “steel hedgehogs,” which are intended to incapacitate approaching enemy ships.
The Army Guandu Area Command has stored amphibious rigs and components for creating obstacles to ensure they can be deployed rapidly when needed, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNA.
As the obstacles were being placed, An Army AH-64E Apache helicopter flew over the Tamsui River.
The chopper flew back to Tamsui after completing a reconnaissance mission in the nearby Bali District and reporting to the ground command center, according to the source.
Meanwhile, various types of tanks and armored vehicles rolled into their designated strategic positions in Bali upon receiving an order from the command center.
The vehicles mobilized for the drill included CM11 tanks, and CM33 and CM34 armored vehicles.
The five-day drills are the first of their kind and are being conducted based on the assessment that the PLA could unexpectedly pivot military exercises or “gray zone” activities — provocative or aggressive actions that fall just short of an open conflict — near Taiwan into a real attack, a military source told local media on March 12.
