Before dawn on Monday, military police carrying Javelin anti-tank missiles emerged from a Taipei metro station, swiftly advancing past shuttered storefronts before establishing defensive positions in the urban core. In a nearby district, Taiwan’s army used the mass rapid transit (MRT) system to move vital supplies such as munitions and food — a vivid sign of how this year’s Han Kuang military exercise is unfolding closer to civilian life than ever before.
As Financial Times reports, Taiwan’s armed forces have brought their largest and most realistic war drills yet directly to the public’s doorstep in a bid to prepare both the military and society for the worst-case scenario: a Chinese invasion.
“If there ever is war, they will be fighting right here,” said one elderly Taipei resident, surnamed Lu, echoing a growing sense of urgency across the island.
Urban Warfare and Unscripted Scenarios
The Han Kuang drills, now in their 41st year, have taken on unprecedented scope and intensity in 2025. The exercises will run for 10 days — double their usual duration — and involve a record 22,000 reservists. Unlike in past years, the military is simulating not only defense at the beaches but also how to sustain prolonged combat throughout Taiwan’s dense urban landscape.
For the first time, public transportation infrastructure such as the Taipei MRT has been incorporated into the operation, testing “battlefield survivability” in scenarios where Chinese missile strikes would disrupt conventional logistics. The inclusion of the U.S.-supplied Himars multiple-launch rocket system also marks a notable shift in Taiwan’s warfighting capabilities.
Experts see these changes as part of a broader move toward realism. “Last year was about ditching rehearsals,” said one defense analyst. “This year, they’re ditching the script entirely.”
Decentralisation and Communication Breakdown
Admiral Mei Chia-shu, Taiwan’s chief of the general staff, has emphasized the need to train under the doctrine of “mission command” — where field units act autonomously if communications are severed. A senior military official told the Financial Times, “If China attacks, one of the first things to go will be our communications systems. So if we say we do realistic training, we must train for our units to be cut off from their superiors.”
Yet analysts caution that Taiwan’s military remains deeply accustomed to centralized command. “Decentralisation is a difficult thing for our armed forces,” said Sheu Jyh-Shyang, an expert at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a think tank under Taiwan’s defense ministry. “It is still hard to see fast progress in that regard.”
Military Vehicles in Civilian Streets
Perhaps the most visible change is the military’s presence in everyday life. Tanks, rocket launchers, and troop transporters have been maneuvering through crowded urban neighborhoods, areas more familiar with food stalls than firefights.
However, the exercise has not been without hiccups. Multiple accidents involving military vehicles have occurred: a U.S.-made Paladin howitzer mistakenly veered into a narrow street, damaging cars and even a water tower; a tank dented a parked vehicle; and a Patriot missile launcher became wedged under the awning of a local noodle shop.
Despite these incidents, Taiwan’s government insists that involving civilians and public infrastructure is a crucial step in fostering national resilience. The Financial Times reports that the move reflects a growing belief that the defense of the island will not be confined to soldiers alone, but will require a whole-of-society effort.
As geopolitical tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to mount, Taiwan’s bold reshaping of its most important annual military exercise sends a clear message — both to its citizens and to Beijing: this is no longer a rehearsal.
