Taiwan's armed forces are conducting exercises that have used urban public transport for the first time to prepare for a Chinese invasion.
Units have been "holding the defense" right on the streets of the capital to better prepare for a possible Chinese attack and raise public awareness of what such a crisis would entail.
In the early hours of the morning, a detachment of military police armed with Javelin anti-tank missile systems broke out of a Taipei subway station and, running past closed shop windows, took up a fighting position.
Elsewhere in the city, the army's logistics command used the rapid transit system to deliver ammunition and food from the eastern suburbs, the Financial Times reports.
The military exercises in Taiwan have been held annually for 41 years, but this time the command went much further than usual. The troops were tested in "battlefield survival" in a scenario in which China, whose naval and air forces maneuver almost daily near Taiwanese waters, unexpectedly launches missile strikes and organizes a landing.
The last four days of the exercises, which this time will last 10 days (twice as long as usual), were dedicated to preparing for protracted battles across the country. In the past, the military has even refused to publicly discuss such a scenario.
22,000 reservists were mobilized for the exercises - more than ever. They were the first to use the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, purchased from the United States and proven effective on the battlefield in Ukraine.
During operations on city streets, a howitzer and a tank damaged several cars and a water tower, and a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system got stuck while turning near one of the cafes, the FT describes.
This is an example of the difficulties troops face in urban combat, especially in such densely built-up areas as in Taiwanese cities, said a foreign military officer who observed the exercises.
"For attackers, this would be a nightmare. For defense, such a development is very convenient, but only if your own forces have mastered the necessary actions in this labyrinth," the expert noted.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Taiwan announced the holding of the largest military exercises in its history, Han Kuang, which started on July 9 and will last ten days with the participation of more than 22,000 reservists.
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