Taipei: Taiwan is set to conduct its annual Han Kuang military exercises over a period of 10 days and nine nights, maintaining the extensive duration established last year. The focus will be on enhancing decentralized command capabilities, conducting operations in pre-designated kill zones, and improving urban resilience, as stated by Defense Minister Wellington Koo.
According to Focus Taiwan, the live-force exercises, which are the largest in Taiwan, are designed to simulate real combat conditions with the integration of local governments' urban resilience air raid drills set for 2026. The exercises will employ "real troops, real locations, real equipment, and real conditions" to heighten combat realism. A significant change this year includes the full implementation of 14-day reserve call-ups, replacing the previous shorter system of five to seven days.
The Army will also extend its base combat drills from five days and four nights to the same 10-day and nine-night schedule, involving infantry battalions composed of one-year conscripts. Drawing inspiration from U.S. training and evaluation models, the new training regimen will progress through three phases: preparatory training, tactical operations, and combat capability assessments. This approach allows for continuous 24-hour training sessions to assess ground force coordination and strengthen troops' endurance under pressure.
Moreover, conscripted infantry battalions will participate in joint live-fire evaluations with the Army's Combined Arms 584th Brigade. These exercises will focus on defensive positions, communications and command, and fire support coordination, aiming to bolster joint force interdiction and strike capabilities. The complete implementation of 14-day refresher programs for reserve forces has been in place since January, rendering the shorter programs obsolete.
The extension to 10 days and nine nights first occurred last year in response to evolving threat scenarios, marking the longest iteration of the Han Kuang exercises with continuous, unscripted training sessions.