Taiwan’s military is scheduled to kick off its five-day Combat Readiness Week drills Monday, a military source said Sunday.
With Chinese military aircraft frequently entering Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and flying near the median line of the Taiwan Strait, this year’s drills focus on the country’s defense capabilities, according to the military.
From Oct. 1-4, Beijing flew about 149 military aircraft sorties into Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ. This included 38 on Oct. 1, 39 on Oct. 2, 16 on Oct. 3, and 56 on Oct. 4.
By comparison, 380 breaches of Taiwan’s ADIZ were made in all of 2020, according to data from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.
The military regularly conducts Combat Readiness Month drills every three months to strengthen joint combat capabilities and ensure consistent communications between different branches.
During the latest month-long drill, military units practice field reconnaissance and engage in computer-aided war games, as well as actual combat training.
An array of armored fighting vehicles and military trucks will also take part in the five-day drill beginning on Monday, according to the military source.
On Sunday evening, four Chinese J-16 fighter jets entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ, according to data released by the Air Force.
The Air Force responded by scrambling planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and mobilizing air defense assets.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel