In Pingtung, Taiwan, troops conducted drills on Monday using anti-amphibious landing missiles as part of their military strategy to stay agile and potent, aiming to deter any potential attack from China. China asserts sovereignty over the democratically governed island and has suggested resorting to force to bring it under Beijing’s control.
During the two-day exercise, Taiwanese troops utilized tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles called TOW 2A mounted on M1167 Humvees to target floating objects off a beach in Pingtung County. This strategic location in Taiwan’s south faces both the Taiwan Strait and China, as well as the Pacific Ocean.
The TOW 2A missiles, renowned globally as effective anti-tank weapons, play a pivotal role in Taiwan’s defense strategy against a potential Chinese incursion. China, with its superior numbers of warplanes, ships, and missiles, has been escalating military threats in recent years.
Taiwan procured 1,700 units of the newer TOW 2B system from the United States, with the final deliveries expected by year-end. The exercises also aimed to assess the TOW 2B’s advanced capabilities, including its compatibility with the TOW 2A and its capacity to target objects at night, as per the Defense Ministry.
Advocates of such weaponry argue that these mobile systems offer Taiwan the best chance in an asymmetrical conflict against a larger Chinese military. Given Taiwan’s terrain of tough mountains, mud flats, and urban areas unsuitable for conventional forces, some suggest the need for more aircraft and naval vessels.
China frequently dispatches warplanes and warships near Taiwan in a bid to pressure its populace and weaken the island’s defenses. In response, Taiwan has extended its national military service term, developed submarines domestically, and imported sophisticated military equipment from the U.S.
The majority of Taiwanese populace supports the current de facto independence status of the island, which occurred following the civil war separation from mainland China in 1949.