Taiwan is drilling to keep interceptor fighters flying through attacks on its runways just 90 miles from China
Taiwan's Mirage 2000-5s, stationed about 90 miles from mainland China at Hsinchu Airbase, are its primary interceptor aircraft.
Taiwan is conducting runway repair drills at Hsinchu Air Base, located just 90 miles from mainland China, to ensure its primary interceptor fighter jets remain operational in the event of a Chinese invasion. These drills are part of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, which simulate a Chinese invasion of the island. The base houses Taiwan's 53 Mirage 2000-5 interceptor fighter jets, along with over 130 F-16 Fighting Falcons and 129 F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo fighter jets.
Ground teams use bulldozers and graders to clear debris and fill craters in the concrete, while troops practice deploying and securing a fiberglass mat as a surface-to-air missile system stands guard. The drills emphasize sustained air-to-air combat, with personnel practicing rapid rearming of the Mirages and emergency scrambles of two jets.
Hsinchu Air Base, one of Taiwan's first military bases to be targeted in the event of a full-scale assault, could potentially be rendered inoperable within the first 24 hours of an invasion.
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