4th August 2022 – (Taipei) The People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China (PLA) started to conduct a large-scale military exercise around Taiwan on Thursday (4th), and another military exercise near the Taiwan Strait two days ago. Among them, the Eastern Theatre Command organised actual combat-oriented joint exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Wednesday (3rd) to test the joint combat capabilities of its troops.
Meanwhile, the Dassault Mirage 2000, F5E and F5F fighter jets blasted off from the Chihhang Air Base on Thursday. The Taiwanese military emphasised that it was a routine training exercise and had nothing to do with the PLA’s military exercises.
The Eastern Theatre Command released a video again today, showing that a variety of military aircraft, such as early warning aircraft, fighters, bombers, etc., have carried out missions in multiple airspaces. A pilot of a brigade of the Air Force in the Eastern Theatre Command, said that after his fighter plane took off, he flew to the vicinity of Taiwan and he was combat-ready to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Another Taiwanese media reported that several fighter jets were seen taking off from the Hsinchu Air Base. The Taiwan Air Force Command stated that this is a routine training. It has nothing to do with the PLA’s military exercises in the eastern waters of Taiwan, and the public should not be too concerned.
In addition, the 8th Field Army in Taiwan deployed military trucks with 155 Gun-howitzer and 120 mortars from Dashu District in Kaohsiung to the shoreline of Pingtung County, on Thursday morning. Civilians were shocked when they saw the delivered artillery shells.
The 8th Field Army confirmed the incident but stressed that they were used for routine training next week.