France: Taiwan's Hsinchu Air Base Drills Focus on Rapid Runway Repair and Air Combat Readiness

The island's air force practiced its response to a scenario where Chinese long-range missiles or rockets had already damaged facilities at the base. The drills, part of the annual Han Kuang exercises, included rearming Dassault Mirage 2000-5s, performing emergency takeoffs, and restoring runways. Ground teams used bulldozers and graders to clear debris and fill a crater in the concrete, after which troops practiced deploying and securing a heavy fiberglass mat as an Antelope short-range mobile surface-to-air missile system stood guard.

Hsinchu Air Base, about 90 miles from mainland China, is home to Taiwan's 53-strong fleet of Mirages, fourth-generation aircraft it began receiving in 1997. The French aircraft are designated as Taiwan's primary interceptor fighters, with the island also fielding over 130 F-16 Fighting Falcons and 129 of its homegrown fighter jet, the F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo. Friday's drills particularly emphasized sustained air-to-air combat.