Taiwan conducted drills on Monday using anti-amphibious landing missiles as part of its strategy to maintain mobility and lethality.
The exercise aims to deter potential attacks from China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory and has stated its intent to bring it under control by force if necessary.
Troops fired tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided TOW 2A missiles mounted on M1167 Humvees at floating targets off a beach in Pingtung County during the two-day exercise.
The area on Taiwan’s southern tip faces both the Taiwan Strait and China, as well as the Pacific Ocean.
The TOW 2A missiles are among the most effective and popular anti-tank weapons in the world and are a key component of what some experts say is Taiwan’s best strategy to resist a potential Chinese invasion.
China has ramped up its military threat in recent years due to its significant edge in numbers of warplanes, ships, and missiles.
Taiwan purchased 1,700 units of the newer TOW 2B system from the U.S., with the last deliveries expected by the end of the year.
The two-day exercise also aimed to assess the TOW 2B’s interoperability with the TOW 2A and its ability to acquire targets at night, according to the Defense Ministry.
Advocates of such weaponry argue that these mobile systems offer the best chance in an asymmetric battle against a much larger Chinese force.
While China has the world’s largest standing military, much of Taiwan’s terrain consists of steep mountains, mud flats, and densely built urban areas, which are less suited to conventional forces.
Others argue that Taiwan needs more warplanes and surface ships.
China regularly sends warplanes and warships near Taiwan in an attempt to intimidate its citizens and weaken the island’s defenses.
In response, Taiwan has extended national military service to one year, is building its own submarines, and is importing sophisticated new equipment from the U.S.
The vast majority of Taiwanese support the current status of de facto independence for their island, which separated from mainland China amid a civil war in 1949.
