Taiwan Today

President Tsai Ing-wen, the first female commander-in-chief in the history of the Republic of China (Taiwan), urged all of the nation’s servicemen and women to innovate, adapt and improve as she inspected the Han Kuang No. 32 live-fire military exercise Aug. 25 at the Joint Operations Training Base Command in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County. “I hope we can all make use of innovative thinking to build an upgraded military,” Tsai said while addressing the troops. “I have said many times before, and today, on the front line of this military exercise, I will say again, the honor of the armed forces is my honor. No matter what problems we may encounter, we will face them together.” The president said the Ministry of National Defense has been tasked with devising a strategy by January 2017 to set a new course for the nation’s armed forces, one that will lead to a stronger military. Tsai, who was outfitted with a helmet and bullet-proof vest upon her arrival, spoke to the members of the armed forces shortly after witnessing 27 unique defensive exercises. This year for the first time, the nation’s Apache and Black Hawk helicopters played a pivotal role in the exercise, with the Black Hawks demonstrating their heavy-lifting capabilities by transporting special operations assault vehicles. Apache helicopters fired volleys of rockets, which hit their targets with precision. The Han Kuang exercise, which first took place in 1984, is designed to test joint combat readiness to repel an invasion by enemy forces. Personnel from each branch of the ROC military take part in the drill, which involves the use of live ammunition. (WF-E) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw