TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 10th Army Corps conducted an annual live-fire artillery drill in Taichung’s Daijia District on Thursday (Aug. 8).
The corps’ 58th Artillery Command deployed 12 M110A2 self-propelled howitzers to showcase its firepower and training, according to the Military News Agency.
Troops practiced different firing patterns, including firing in waves. After the shooting exercise, the 10th Army Corps commander commended the soldiers for their excellent performance.
The Fifth Theater of Operations, which is responsible for the defense of central Taiwan, set a maximum trajectory height of 1,219 meters and established a danger zone with a radius of 5.55 kilometers.
The drills come as Taiwan seeks to strengthen its defense due to the rising Chinese military threat in the region.
On Thursday, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) pledged to improve decentralized command and joint strike capabilities, in particular, to address the challenges of modern-day warfare. “Our goal is to build a formidable military force capable of safeguarding the nation's survival and development, and protecting the lives and property of our people,” Lai said.
On Wednesday, Taiwan announced a 6% increase in its defense budget, which will help the nation continue developing indigenous weapons and purchase arms from the US.
