Taipei: Taiwan's military conducted a strategic blockade drill in Taipei's Wanhua District early Thursday, aiming to thwart enemy armored units from penetrating further into the capital. This exercise was part of Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills.

According to Focus Taiwan, the simulated confrontation occurred on the pivotal Guangfu Bridge, a crucial link between New Taipei and Taipei, and extended to the intersections at both ends. In this scenario, enemy forces had successfully executed an amphibious landing and were advancing towards the financial and administrative core of Taiwan. Military police, clad in camouflage, erected gabions and Jersey barriers on the bridge to halt the enemy's progression. They fortified the Taipei side perimeter with Czech hedgehogs, barbed wire, and barricades to form a strategic "kill zone."

Civilian resources were also mobilized, with tour buses from the private sector being used as barriers under a civilian force requisition strategy. Military personnel, armed with T112 rifles, simulated combat with the opposing forces, while attack drones mimicked airdropped bombs. As the exercise progressed, the battlefield commander, around 1:20 a.m., ordered denial measures to stall enemy vehicles. This involved simulating the detonation of explosives near the bridge joint, creating a road gap after military forces were pushed back.

Despite the setback, military police engaged enemy infantry crossing the bridge, using smoke screens to exchange gunfire and lure enemies into the kill zone. Clouded Leopard CM33 and CM34 armored vehicles, positioned at the perimeter, countered with 30mm chain guns and T74 machine guns.

Sheu Jyh-shyang, an expert observing the drill, emphasized the importance of deploying multilayered barriers to impede adversaries. The defense of key bridges, like those connecting Taipei to other regions, remains a focal point of the Han Kuang exercises. Sheu suggested incorporating anti-armor weapons, such as rockets and Javelin missiles, in future drills, as forward enemy troops might include numerous armored vehicles. He also recommended considering urban environments in designing future exercises to leverage buildings for defensive advantage.

The Military Police Command stated that the drill evaluated the robustness of defense strategies and commanders' adaptability to changing battlefield scenarios. It highlighted the critical role of effective obstruction and denial operations in protecting the capital and ensuring the safety of governmental assets and citizen property.