Taipei: Taiwan’s military on Monday launched a five-day “immediate combat readiness exercise” across the island to ensure preparedness to respond “swiftly” in case China “escalates its gray-zone activities into a full-scale military attack,” local media reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, the drill, running from Monday through Friday, aims to enhance the military’s ability to “transition more quickly from peacetime to wartime operations.” This initiative, reported by Taipei-based Central News Agency, underscores the statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, emphasizing the importance of readiness in light of potential threats.

At the outset of the drill, combat units began moving to designated defensive positions across the country in preparation for repelling invading enemy forces. In northern Taiwan, several CM32, CM33, and CM34 “Clouded Leopard” eight-wheeled armored vehicles, alongside a military Field Information Communications System vehicle, were observed traveling along the main highw
ay.

In a separate development, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported detecting 23 sorties of Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels, and five official ships operating around the island early Monday. The armed forces monitored the situation and responded, the ministry stated in a post through US social media company X, without providing further details.