Taiwan’s military has conducted live-fire drills on remote islands to simulate the prevention of a Chinese military landing.
The drills using live ammunition were staged on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday morning as part of the annual large-scale military exercises that began on Monday.
Wednesday’s drills started with anti-aircraft fire, and military personnel shot down drones with portable missiles.
Flares were also launched and treated as enemy drones, which were attacked from the coast with howitzers and mortars.
During maritime target practice, other portable missiles were launched. The personnel and tanks carried out a simultaneous attack following a command from a senior officer, causing splashes on the sea surface.
An approaching typhoon forced the military to cancel some parts of the exercises. But Taiwan’s defense ministry shared live footage of the exercises with some foreign media outlets, including NHK, apparently to demonstrate its self-defense capabilities and determination.