Taiwan launches major war games to test command flexibility
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- Taiwan began its 10-day annual Han Kuang exercise Wednesday after an underground Taipei command center issued the drill order, triggering combat-readiness moves including fighter-jet dispersals and emergency naval deployments.
- The drills will for the first time deliberately slow mobile internet speeds to test how civilians would communicate if bandwidth became scarce, alongside simulated wartime relocation of a major arsenal and mobilization of civilian factories.
- Taiwan will adopt a U.S.-style 'backbrief' approach requiring junior officers receiving orders to restate mission details to commanders, aiming to 'ensure commanders and subordinates are in sync on operational intent.'
- The military will run escort drills off Taiwan's Pacific coast amid stated concern that Beijing may be rehearsing how to sever the island's Pacific supply lines from allies.
- More than 20,000 reservists will be mobilized, and an 'embedded reporter' mechanism will assess wartime frontline news releases and efforts to counter enemy disinformation.
- The exercise runs through August 14 and follows past criticism that drills were too staged, with one defense official saying this iteration aims for 'real field environment' conditions rather than 'laboratory-like exercise in a vacuum.'
Why it matters: The Han Kuang drills expand beyond traditional combat scenarios to civilian resilience measures—internet throttling, factory mobilization, counter-disinformation—reflecting Taiwan's shift toward whole-of-society war preparation as Chinese military pressure intensifies. More than 20,000 reservists will be mobilized by August 14, giving Taiwan its largest recent test of wartime reserve integration.
