FazTimes media: Taipei – Taiwan has conducted its biggest and most realistic military drills in many years this week, as a direct reaction to the growing threat from mainland China. The 41st annual Han Kuang Exercise started on Wednesday and lasts for 10 days. This year's drills are different from before because they focus on real combat situations instead of just following preset plans. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence, this year’s Han Kuang aims to simulate prolonged war conditions, focusing on urban warfare, grey-zone tactics, and multi-domain defense operations. The exercise comes amid intensified People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activity in and around the Taiwan Strait, which has kept Taipei and its allies on edge.

“This is the most intensive Han Kuang ever conducted,” said Major General Tung Chi-hsing, the head of the defense ministry’s joint operations division. “We are no longer preparing for a single beach landing; we are training for a drawn-out war that plays out in waves—across land, air, sea, and even the urban environment.”

Grey-Zone Warfare at the Forefront

In a departure from previous years, this year’s drills kicked off by simulating grey-zone incursions—tactics used by the PLA that fall just short of open warfare. On Wednesday morning, the Taiwanese navy scrambled ships to respond to Chinese maritime militia and coast guard vessels operating near the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Simultaneously, Taiwan deployed mobile radar units, surface-to-air missile systems, and early warning teams along the coastlines to detect and counter incursions. The simulations closely matched Beijing's recent approach of applying ongoing pressure on Taiwan by conducting military activities that check how Taiwan reacts, without starting a major war.

Al Jazeera reports that Taiwan has seen almost every day during the last year Chinese planes flying over its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and this pattern is seen as part of a plan to wear down and scare Taiwanese defense forces.

No Scripts, No Spoilers: Training for the Unpredictable

This year’s Han Kuang exercise is doing something new. It’s using a scenario-driven approach with no spoilers, which means military units get very little information beforehand. They have to react to threats as they happen, just like in a real battle. The goal is to create a chaotic and unpredictable environment, similar to actual combat, where communication can fail, equipment can break down, and enemies can act suddenly without warning.

“We are trying to break away from traditional drills that are too predictable,” a defense ministry official said anonymously. “Only by preparing for the unexpected can our forces truly be ready.”

The training also involves emergency resupply missions, rapid deployments, and the use of civilian infrastructure—including the Taipei Metro—for transporting weapons and troops. The Wanban Bridge, which is a key connection between Taipei and New Taipei City, will be closed for the first time during the exercise, as part of a simulation for an urban defense situation.

Han Kuang 2025 emphasizes more attention to fighting in cities and protecting all areas completely. A major part of this exercise is improving strategies for combat in urban settings and ensuring full defense across all regions. Unlike in past years, where exercises typically concluded after simulating successful beach defenses, this time the training extends into house-to-house combat—a realistic possibility if PLA troops were to reach Taiwan’s cities.

To prepare for this, Taiwan is introducing new blast barriers, such as the Hesco bastion system, designed to protect against explosions and slow ground troops in city environments. At the same time, military engineers are starting to build up defenses along "Red Beaches"—areas that are thought to be possible places where the PLA might land. This approach, called "total defense," also includes securing important buildings and facilities, such as power plants, fuel storage areas, and communication centers.

In another important update, the Taiwanese military has brought in the 206th Infantry Brigade, which is the first time that a full brigade of reserve troops has been included in the Han Kuang exercises. Around 22,000 reservists have been called up under “Tung Hsin 35,” Taiwan’s latest reserve reform effort pushed by both local policymakers and international advisers.

The 302nd Infantry Brigade, based in central Taiwan, will receive specialty training and undergo combat assessments during the drill. This move shows a change in how reservists are being included in Taiwan’s main defense efforts, which is something US advisers have been pushing for a long time.

According to BBC News, the United States has kept pushing Taiwan to update and improve its reserve military forces, considering them an important part of the country's defense in case of a long-lasting conflict with the PLA.

Advanced Weapons and International Cooperation

The exercise features the deployment of several U.S.-made weapons systems, including HIMARS rocket launchers, Stinger missiles, and upgraded TOW anti-tank systems. Though no live-fire exercises are scheduled on Taiwan proper due to safety concerns, Abrams M1A2T tanks will perform a live-fire demonstration in Hsinchu, streamed live to command centers across Taiwan.

These systems are part of U.S. arms packages approved in recent years, aimed at helping Taiwan bolster its asymmetric warfare capabilities against China’s much larger military.

China’s Response: Warnings and Threats

Beijing, unsurprisingly, responded with sharp rhetoric. The Chinese Defence Ministry labelled Han Kuang as a “bluffing and self-deceiving trick” orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan.

“Whatever subjects they drill and whatever weapons they use, the PLA’s resolute countermeasures against ‘Taiwan Independence’ will not be deterred,” said ministry spokesman Jiang Bin, warning that the “trend of national reunification is irresistible.”

Beijing continues to consider Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to reclaim the island. President William Lai Ching-te, who took office last year, has refused to yield to Chinese pressure and has reiterated that Taiwan and China are “not subordinate to each other.”

The Road Ahead: Drills to Reality?

Han Kuang 2025 will culminate on July 17 and 18 with simulations of full-spectrum attacks, including air raids, cyberattacks, amphibious landings, and sustained inland resistance. By that time, soldiers will have practiced in almost every type of battle situation, like on beaches, in cities, and over mountains.

As the training continues, Taiwan stays alert. On the first day of the exercises, the ministry said 31 Chinese planes and 7 PLA ships were near its borders, with 24 planes flying across the middle line, showing how close military practice can be to actual fighting.

Conclusion: Preparing for the Inevitable or Preventing It?

Taiwan says these drills are just for defense, but how intense and realistic they are sends a big message—not just to Beijing, but to the entire world. As tensions keep growing in the Taiwan Strait, the island is working hard to strengthen its defenses, and many see this as a necessary move in a region that's becoming more unstable.

For people living there, the Han Kuang drills bring both comfort and worry.

On one side, they show the government is serious about protecting the country. On the other hand, they make it clear that the fear of war is getting closer, not far away anymore.

With China watching carefully and the United States sticking to its policy of being unclear about its involvement, the coming months might be key in deciding what happens between Taiwan and the mainland.

One thing is certain: Taiwan is getting ready—not because it wants to start a fight, but because it wants to stay safe.

At FazTimes, we prioritize accuracy, confidence, and strong journalistic standards. We ensure every news story we share is real by verifying it with multiple trustworthy and independent sources.

We’ve compared this report with coverage from major news outlets around the world, including BBC News, Reuters, Bloomberg, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, NDTV, The Economic Times, and The Indian Express.

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