TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Army’s 39th Chemical Warfare Group conducted a combat readiness drill on Wednesday. 

Soldiers performed smoke deployment operations on a beach in southern Taiwan. They first measured wind direction and speed and selected locations to set off the smoke, Military News Agency reported. They also established communication channels and conducted reconnaissance before turning on M3A3 smoke generators.

A thick smokescreen quickly formed along the coast, making the exercise successful. The speed and ease with which the soldiers carried out the mission verified their capability to support combat units during wartime, the chemical warfare group commander surnamed Lin (林) said.

Through realistic, battle-oriented training, soldiers are proficient in handling equipment and accustomed to battlefield conditions, Lin said.

Last month, the Army carried out a field repair exercise for a Kiowa helicopter to verify the logistics and maintenance skills of ground personnel. Personnel first set up a field maintenance station and then simulated a helicopter communications malfunction during a reconnaissance mission. A mobile repair team was immediately dispatched to the landing site to perform repairs.