Taiwan's annual military exercises have shifted focus this year, prioritizing the island's and its society's flexibility and resilience over showcasing advanced weaponry. Experts suggest the structure of these drills indicates a deepening alignment with the U.S. military as China continues its military assertiveness.
The Huang Kuang drills, which commenced Wednesday and will continue through August 14, are live-fire exercises designed to test the Taiwanese army's capacity for 24-hour defense operations and its ability to counter China's "gray-zone tactics." These tactics involve actions that stop short of open warfare.
China views Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. Taiwan maintains its sovereignty and dismisses China's claims.
The United States, while not formally recognizing Taiwan as a country, considers any threat to the island a significant concern and is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
Enhanced U.S. Military Influence
While speculation about U.S. military training of Taiwanese troops has persisted, the collaboration has become more evident recently. A notable component of this year's drills is the adoption of backbriefing, a U.S.-inspired military communications method where subordinates explain their mission execution plans to commanders. Experts believe this method fosters greater self-reliance and effectiveness among frontline soldiers.
"The most important new development in this year’s Han Kuang is the incorporation of American-style military training methods, which are aimed at enhancing the coordination and combat readiness of the Taiwanese military," said William Yang, a senior Northeast Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group. He added that the drills now focus on building "real combat capabilities" rather than the "mostly performative tasks of firepower display" seen in previous years.
Mobilizing Reserves and Civil Defense
This year's exercises also involve a significant number of reservists, with local media reporting around 20,000 personnel. This emphasis on reserves reflects Taiwan's strategy to address the military power imbalance with China, which possesses an active-duty force nearly nine times the size of Taiwan's.
Urban resilience drills, a long-standing aspect of Taiwan's civil defense focus, are also being conducted in major cities including Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei. These drills include a temporary reduction in mobile internet speed to simulate potential telecommunications interference during an attack.
Political Constraints and U.S. Support
The focus on combat readiness and civilian preparedness aligns with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s priorities, particularly in light of domestic political constraints. Lai's administration faced opposition in parliament regarding a proposed $40 billion special defense budget for U.S. arms purchases and local defense manufacturing. A reduced version of the budget, totaling $24.8 billion, was eventually approved.
"Given that Lai has been constrained on his ability to pass a budget that could even supply the kinds of weapons he would want to test, he has had to look to what he is able to do given the domestic political gridlock," said Lev Nachman, a political science professor at National Taiwan University.
Despite the strengthening informal ties between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries, uncertainty remains regarding a substantial $14 billion arms sales package to Taiwan that has yet to be approved by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has described these arms sales as a "very good negotiating chip" with Beijing, raising concerns in Taiwan about the continuity of U.S. support.
Nachman views the U.S. influence on Taiwan's military drills as a "silver lining," indicating Washington's commitment to the island. "Even though Trump and those close to him have flip-flopped on supporting Taiwan, the connection between the two militaries remains strong, enough to at least ensure that Taiwan is still able to learn at a high level from the U.S.," he said.