By Kelvin Chen, Staff Writer — Taiwan News, 12 April 2022
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese military carried out its annual Lien Hsiang exercise early on Tuesday morning, 12 April 2022. Colonel Sun Lifang, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, said that the military dispatched F-16 fighters, Indigenous Defence Fighters, Apache helicopters, and other aircraft to respond to simulated enemy targets as part of an effort to strengthen the protection of important assets. The exercise lasted from 5am to 7am. During the exercise, the three military branches jointly carried out air defence operations and tested their electronic warfare capabilities.
China frequently dispatches military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone and employs other grey zone tactics to put a strain on the Taiwanese military. A military official said that the joint exercise is an important part of training to stop the enemy and counter airstrikes. This has created a need for Taiwan to bolster its defence capabilities and combat readiness through more military exercises and reform.