PINGTUNG (TVBS News) — Taiwan's military conducted the "Precision Missile Firing Exercise" at the Jiupeng Military Base (九鵬基地) on Tuesday (Aug. 20). This event marked the first such exercise under President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) administration and witnessed the launch of various missiles, including the U.S. Patriot PAC-2 (愛國者二型飛彈), the Hsiung Feng IIE (雄風二E巡弋飛彈), and Taiwan's Sky Bow 3 system (天弓三型防空飛彈).
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) also attended the exercise, overseeing the results of the precision missile firing by air and naval forces for the first time. The Hsiung Feng IIE missile launched at 5:20 a.m., followed by the Patriot PAC-2 at approximately 6:19 a.m.
The exercise aimed to counter the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) engagement procedures, focusing on air defense and sea control. The Sky Bow 3 system, capable of intercepting fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, anti-radiation missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles, played a crucial role in Taiwan's joint air and missile defense missions.
This exercise extended airspace control to "unlimited altitude," with missile firing heights estimated to exceed 25,000 feet (about 7,620 meters). Sources revealed that domestic media and officials attended the early morning test. However, due to the sensitive nature of the Hsiung Feng IIE missile, which has a range of up to 1,200 kilometers and can reach inland China, the launch took place before the media arrived at 5:20 a.m.