Air Force Drills in Hualien Canceled Due to Typhoon
An incoming typhoon has caused the cancellation of one of part of Taiwan's largest annual military exercises as there are concerns strong winds may affect fighter jets.
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00:00Taiwan's military has been practicing how to reposition some of its aircraft to bases
00:04around the country, but drills scheduled for today have been cancelled due to an incoming
00:09typhoon.
00:11This week, the country's holding its largest military drills, the Hanguang exercise, which
00:15aimed to test Taiwan's ability to defend against a Chinese invasion.
00:20For the past few days, fighter jets, cargo planes and other military aircraft have been
00:24flying all around Taiwan, simulating a wartime scenario.
00:29They'll be flying to airbases in the east, such as Jiashan Air Base in Hualien, farther
00:33away from a potential front line.
00:37Taiwan is no stranger to typhoons and strong rain, especially during the summer, and military
00:41officials say drills scheduled for later this week will be affected.
00:45The drills were supposed to rehearse how to protect Taiwan's military resources, as
01:02the country's military is much smaller than China's.
01:05That's why a big portion of this year's Hanguang exercise focuses on how to defend critical
01:10infrastructure like airbases and ports.
01:14Officials here say that the typhoon just goes to show that even with the most preparation,
01:18things don't always go to plan, but the military plans to use the storm to practice how to
01:23react to unexpected situations.
01:25Ryan Wu in Hamiokon in Hualien County for Taiwan Plus.