2023 Annual Tri-Service Exercise - Taiwan
Armed Forces Readiness Status Exercise for 2023 Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit) - Research Documents
China In Arms BOOKSTORE and GIFT SHOP!
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe: $5 Month/$50 Annual (unable to secure a subscription contact the bank for permission for Stripe deposits).
Paid Subscriptions can choose 2 free books.
2023 Annual Tri-Service Exercise - Taiwan
Armed Forces Readiness Status Exercise for 2023 Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit) - Research Documents
22 January 2023
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - This is another research dump for those who cover Taiwan, either academic or journalistic.
The is the second annual Tri-Service Exercise (11-12 January 2023) provided to the readership by China In Arms for the Chinese New Year annual exercise; the previous was 2018.
The below two-day exercise - Day One (11 January): covered the 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing (499th), 42nd Tactical Fighter Group (“Cobras”), Mirage 2000 Fighter Aircraft, Hsinchu Air Force Base; 8th Field Army (South), 564 Armored Brigade, Alian Base, Kaohsiung. Day Two (12 January): covered the Navy and 99th Marine Brigade (“Iron Fist”) at Tsoying Naval Base.
Readers should note that the 564th now has rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). These replaced the fixed wing UAVs transferred to the navy several years ago. Please note this change in your copy of my book Taiwan Army Weapons and Equipment (2022).
For the record, over the past 25 years, I have been on over 100 Taiwan military sponsored media trips to virtually every base on and off the island, including Dongyin and Erhtan/Dadan islets and inside the man-made cave at Hualien Airbase. So Taiwan has been completely transparent to the public, perhaps too much so…but I do salute their efforts. Also, for the record, I was unable to attend this two-day exhibition, but was given the complete briefing to share with researchers who subscribe to China In Arms.
ABOVE: Rough translation: 11 Jan Morning: 2nd Wing, Hsinchu AFB; Mirage flyby, taxiing, equipment demo, interview. 11 January afternoon: 564th Armored Bdg., Kaohsiung, Anti-Airborne Drill. 12 January morning: LPD Yushan and 99th Marine Brigade, Kaohsiung, Vehicle embarking drill, S-70C helicopter landing on flight deck, LCM disembarking drill, and AAVP7 ride, Marines' urban operations drill. Note to reader: it has been my experience that Taiwan has been extremely open to both domestic and foreign media over the past 20 years, though prior to 2000 such media trips were extremely rare.
AIR FORCE:
Please consult the book Modern Taiwanese Air Power by Ray Choo and Peter Ho (2021).
Further elaboration below or you can download the Air Force PDF:
ABOVE: Notes for interviewing:
I. The content of the manual includes media interview instructions, interview itinerary, photography point planning, personnel interview location map, interviewee information and scene description, etc. It provides media friends with reference. Please take good care of it.
II. This base is an important sensitive place for the armed forces. Please wear a press card throughout the whole process. According to the guidance of the reception personnel, carry out shooting operations in the planned photography site of this base. Do not enter the control area without authorization to maintain safety.