Han Kuang Exercises Test U.S.-Style Command Practices and All-Out Defense Mobilization

The live-fire portion of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises is running from August 5 to 14. For the first time, the drills feature deliberate mobile internet slowdowns to simulate enemy attacks on communications networks. They are also examining how Taiwan would respond to mounting Chinese military pressure, amid concerns that Beijing is rehearsing blockade tactics aimed at severing Taiwan’s Pacific supply lines from its allies and partners.
 
The Han Kuang exercises have served as Taiwan’s primary war games since 1984 and are intended to test the nation’s combat readiness in the event of a possible Chinese invasion. This year’s drills are designed to be more realistic, unscripted, and decentralized, in response to past criticisms that earlier exercises were too highly staged.
 
2026 Han Kuang Priorities

• Decentralized Command and U.S.-Style Training: According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, this year’s exercises focus on decentralization and a transition toward unscripted, live-fire training. Following U.S. advice, the military has not shared the full exercise plans with its field officers to better gauge their real-time reactions to unexpected battlefield scenarios. Taiwan’s military is also incorporating key U.S.-style rehearsal methods, including backbriefs,to empower front-line troops to become active decision-makers during combat.

• Expanded Reserve and Civilian Mobilization: Taiwan’s military has called up more than 20,000 reservists, who are conducting a variety of training missions, including coastal defense. Separate exercises are also testing civilian vehicle requisitions to support wartime operations.

• Advanced Combat and Coastal Defense Capabilities: Taiwan’s newly deployed U.S.-made M1A2T Abrams tanks are participating in the Han Kuang exercises for the first time. The tanks are assigned to defend strategic locations in northern Taiwan, including beaches, critical infrastructure, and command centers, following the arrival in April of the final shipment of an order for 108 tanks. The exercises also feature the newly inaugurated Littoral Combat Command, established on July 1 to integrate the Taiwan Navy’s anti-ship missiles, coastal defense forces, mobile radar, and unmanned systems into a single unified command.

• Critical Infrastructure Resilience: Blockage drills are being staged at the recently opened Danjiang Bridge to simulate slowing an enemy advance toward Taipei’s central government district. Located in New Taipei, the bridge provides a key route into the capital, home to the Presidential Office and other major political and economic infrastructure sites. In another first for Taiwan, mobile network bandwidth is being deliberately reduced to simulate enemy attacks on communications infrastructure.

Implications

The 2026 Han Kuang exercises reflect a broader shift in Taiwan’s defense training toward more realistic and decentralized preparations for a potential Chinese invasion. By introducing U.S.-style command practices and putting both military and civilian systems through unscripted wartime scenarios, the exercises demonstrate Taiwan’s serious commitment to defense preparedness. They also reinforce a whole-of-society approach to resilience and deterrence.

The drills further underscore the important role that U.S. security assistance and defense cooperation continue to play in strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Sources:
[1] Focus Taiwan   [2] Reuters   [3] Taipei Times   [4] Focus Taiwan