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Taipei Rehearses Civilian Air Raids as Han Kuang Drills Conclude

The exercise underscores Taipei’s shift toward a whole-of-society defense strategy by blending civilian preparedness with large-scale military simulations

Image
Soldiers set up barricades to block a bridge connecting New Taipei with Taiwan's capital Taipei during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Soldiers set up barricades to block a bridge connecting New Taipei with Taiwan's capital Taipei during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang
A soldier with a U.S.-imported FIM-92 Stinger shoulder-fired missiles takes part in Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Overview

  • Thousands of residents and motorists paused at 1:30 p.m. on July 17 as air-raid sirens directed them into underground shelters during the mandatory drill
  • Participants practiced war-time aid distribution and mass-casualty response scenarios alongside the shelter rehearsals
  • The civilian exercise ran alongside Taiwan’s largest-ever Han Kuang drills, which mobilized record numbers of reservists and included urban warfare and night-time metro assaults
  • US-supplied Stinger missiles and mobile missile launchers were publicly deployed around Taipei as part of the show of deterrence
  • Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 58 Chinese military aircraft near the island in the past 24 hours, underscoring sustained pressure from Beijing