TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Army Air Training Center's "Special Terrain Parachute Training Course" (特種地形跳傘訓練班) conducted a water landing drill on Tuesday (Oct. 15) at Pingtung’s Dapeng Bay (大鵬灣) to improve chances for survival from both intentional and unintentional water landings.
The exercise involved 27 trainees jumping from a C-130 transport aircraft, aiming to improve operational flexibility under high reconnaissance pressure. The training started at 6 a.m. from Pingtung Airport (屏東機場) in southern Taiwan, with participants jumping from an altitude of 1,250 feet (381 meters) in five waves, each consisting of five to six soldiers.
The army's decision to use wet training for this drill seeks to expand soldiers’ parachuting skills across different aircraft types. This training is part of a broader effort to prepare for potential future conflicts, especially given the rising military tensions in the region.
The drill followed the Chinese People's Liberation Army’s (PLA) completion of its "Joint Sword-2024B" (聯合利劍－2024B) military exercise around Taiwan, which concluded on Monday at 6 p.m. Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed at an afternoon press briefing that 90 PLA aircraft had entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) that day, setting a new record for single-day incursions.