This year’s military exercises, unprecedented in length and scale, are designed to prepare people for the prospect of Chinese troops storming Taiwan’s shores.

Taiwanese armed forces yesterday simulated an enemy advance into the Taipei area after a successful landing, while defending units practiced “hot refueling” helicopters on the ninth day of the Han Kuang exercises.

The 41st Han Kuang exercise is taking place against a backdrop of heightened tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its own and has vowed to unify with it—by force, if necessary. This year's live-fire component is the longest ever, reflecting the seriousness with which Taipei views the threat.

Air raid sirens wailed across Taipei on Thursday as large-scale drills were carried out as part of the annual Han Kuang military exercises designed to strengthen Taiwan's preparedness in the face of mounting tensions with China.

The Han Kuang military drills entered their seventh day yesterday, with a focus on prolonged defensive operations. Units simulated a scenario in which the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) established beachheads in an invasion of Taiwan,

A Navy P-8A anti-submarine plane and an MQ-4C Triton drone entered the Taiwan Strait during Taipei's largest military exercise.

Taiwan’s military is bringing out the big guns in the south of the country as part of the annual Han Kuang exercises, with the army learning how to strike targets together as a team.