Taiwan launches Han Kuang 42 live‑fire drills, first obstruction exercise on Danjiang Bridge

Taiwan’s armed forces began the Han Kuang 42 live‑fire exercise on 5 August, a ten‑day maneuver that combines computer‑assisted command simulations, rapid‑deployment drills and joint‑defense operations. For the first time the drill will include an obstruction scenario on the newly opened Danjiang Bridge, which spans the Tamsui River in New Taipei, to practice sealing the crossing against a potential People's Liberation Army incursion toward the island’s political‑economic core.

The exercise emphasizes realistic combat conditions, with units confronting uncertain factors, simulated communications outages and resource constraints. Chief of the General Staff Mei Chia‑Shu stressed a shift toward “multi‑domain denial and resilient defence,” integrating land, sea, air, cyber and electromagnetic capabilities, AI‑driven command systems, unmanned platforms and precision mining to build a layered defensive posture.