Taiwan Tests Penghu Defense, Mobile Internet Limits in War Drills

Taiwan’s military conducted a simulated defense of the strategically important Penghu Islands on Monday as part of its annual Han Kuang military exercises, while authorities prepared to restrict mobile internet speeds in a first-of-its-kind civil defense test.

The 10-day Han Kuang exercise began last week and is designed to strengthen Taiwan’s readiness for a potential Chinese military attack. China considers democratically governed Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains that its people should determine their own future.

Before dawn, troops from Taiwan’s First Theatre Command carried out a live-fire exercise on a Penghu beach. M60A3 tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft weapons were deployed to create what the military described as a “multi-layered” defense against a simulated enemy attempting a rapid coastal landing.

Located in the Taiwan Strait and closer to Taiwan’s main island than China, Penghu is considered strategically significant. Taiwanese defense planners have identified the archipelago as a possible early target in a conflict, as control of the islands could potentially provide China with a position for launching missiles and drones toward Taiwan.

Reservists from Penghu also participated as part of a 14-day training program. Taiwan has been working to better integrate reserve personnel into military operations and make its defense exercises more closely reflect possible wartime conditions.

Later Monday, authorities will deliberately reduce mobile internet speeds in central Taiwan during a civil defense exercise. It marks the first time Taiwan has tested limited mobile bandwidth as part of the drills, simulating communications challenges that could emerge during a natural disaster or Chinese invasion.

Critical infrastructure and essential services, including ATMs, traffic signals and emergency ambulance communications, will remain operational. Landline phones and fixed internet connections will also be unaffected.

The government notified residents in advance through nationwide Chinese- and English-language mobile alerts and social media announcements. Northern Taiwan, including Taipei, is scheduled to conduct the same mobile internet exercise on Thursday.

The expanded Han Kuang drills highlight Taiwan’s growing focus on military readiness, reserve mobilization, civilian resilience and communications security amid continued tensions across the Taiwan Strait.