TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The No. 38 Han Kuang live-fire exercises that started Monday (July 25) will test Taiwan’s readiness in air defense, combat capacity preservation, and counterattack capabilities.

The first two days of the drills will simulate a scenario where Taiwan flies some of its fighter jets and moves fighter plane spare parts to the eastern part of the country with Lockheed C-130 Hercules turboprop military transport aircraft under an assault by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), CNA reported.

The exercises will also include the deployment of mobile military radar vehicles and warships, as well as the readying of the country’s forces on the outlying islands. Meanwhile, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will oversee a large-scale maritime exercise on the waters of Yilan’s Suao in eastern Taiwan on Tuesday (July 26).

Tsai will review the drill onboard a Kee Lung-class guided-missile destroyer. It will be the second time Tsai has participated in such events since she took office in 2016, the last time being in April 2018.

Over 20 aircraft and warships are expected to be involved in the maneuver, including the Indigenous Defense Fighters, the Dassault Mirage 2000 and F-16V Block 20 fighters, Chi Yang-class frigates, Cheng Kung-class frigates, Chien Lung-class submarines, and Tuo Chiang-class corvettes among others.

An Indigenous Defense Fighter takes off. (Military News Agency photo)

(Facebook, Military News Agency photos)

Military vehicles outside the presidential office in a warm-up session for the Han Kuang drills. (CNA photo)