Taiwan's Matsu Defense Command deployed CM-21 tracked armored personnel carriers on August 5 in a critical infrastructure protection exercise, sending troops from the Nangan Garrison Battalion to verify combat engagement procedures and command-and-control mechanisms on Han Kuang 42's opening day.
The drill, conducted within the battalion's defensive zone, simulated a scenario in which key infrastructure had been sabotaged by unidentified actors — a scenario that reflects growing concern over gray-zone threats to Taiwan's frontline outlying islands. Troops mounted CM-21 APCs and moved immediately to designated tactical positions upon the order to deploy.
'Nangan Garrison Battalion Sequences a Full Engagement Response'
Upon reaching the target area, soldiers first launched drones to scout for enemy positions before dismounting under fire. Under cover of the CM-21 APCs, troops then conducted crowd evacuation drills. Personnel designated as opposing forces concealed themselves inside facilities to simulate a realistic infiltration scenario, while smoke grenades and blank rounds were used to replicate battlefield conditions.
The Matsu Defense Command said the exercise aimed to build a complete battlefield picture for troops and sharpen their real-world response capability — both in identifying threats and in protecting civilian infrastructure under wartime pressure.
'Matsu's Proximity to China Gives These Drills Outsized Weight'
The drill is part of Han Kuang 42, Taiwan's major annual live-fire defense exercise running from August 5 to 14 — 10 days and nine nights of continuous scenario-based operations. The live-fire phase follows earlier stages of the year's exercise cycle, including computer-assisted command post simulations, immediate combat readiness drills conducted before a hypothetical enemy fleet sets sail, and joint defense exercises staged after a simulated enemy launch.
Matsu, an archipelago located just a few kilometers off the coast of China's Fujian province, sits at the sharpest point of any cross-strait military scenario. Infrastructure sabotage and gray-zone incursions — rather than conventional amphibious assault — are considered among the most likely opening gambits in such a scenario, making the Nangan drill a pointed exercise in the kind of threat Taiwan expects to face first. （Related： Han Kuang 42 | Lai Joins Evacuation Drill; US Military Observes ｜ Latest ）
