TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The F-16V fighter jet and the C-130H transport aircraft will participate in the Han Kuang 39 drills in Taitung County on July 24-28, reports said Friday (June 23).

The maneuvers are intended to improve training in the face of the growing military threat from China, per CNA. The planes are expected to land and take off at Taitung’s civilian Fengnian Airport.

Taiwan has ordered 66 new F-16V Block 70 jets which will eventually be stationed at Zhihang Air Base in the same region. Next month’s drills with the upgraded F-16V Block 20 fighters should show that Fengnian could be used as a valid alternative in wartime.

As Fengnian Airport is only used by two airlines, it is a more practical host to stage military drills, officials said. The exercises are unlikely to affect civilian traffic too much, and they could function as a model for eventual wartime use of larger airports in Taoyuan, Taipei, and Kaohsiung.

At 2,436 meters, the runway at Fengnian is long enough to welcome the F-16V and the C-130H, according to military commentators. The airport only needs minor additions, such as an arresting net and wire.

Most fighter jets require around 500 m for a successful landing, while the C-130H needs 1,090 m. For takeoff, 810 m is the minimum distance for an F-16, and 518 m for a C-130H, according to military experts.