After U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departing Taiwan, the people’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the Communist China announced large-scale military exercises in six areas encircling Taiwan and entering Taiwan’s territorial waters. Soon after that, CCP’s military aircraft and warships have been conducting exercises near the Taiwan Strait, many of them still manoeuvre actively in the eastern waters.

4 fully loaded F-16Vs fighters are reportedly ready to scramble from Taiwan’s Hualien Air Force Base to counter intruding PLA vessels. Each jet is equipped with two air-launched anti-ship Harpoon missiles to defend the nation’s east coast.

A F-16 Viper carries two air-launched AGM-84 Harpoon missiles. (Photo Credit: You Yailang. Photo Source: Liberty Times Net)

Many activities have been conducted at Hualien Air Force Base in Taiwan recently. All general training tasks have been stopped and transitioned to combat readiness tasks.More than ten combat-ready mission aircrafts have been deployed at the base, most of which are equipped with short-range sidewinder missiles and AIM-120 advanced medium-range missiles.

Four of them are F-16Vs, each carries two AIM-120 advanced medium-range missiles, two short-range sidewinder missiles, two air-launched AGM-84 Harpoon missiles and one ALQ-184 electronic warfare pod, and two auxiliary fuel tanks under the mid-abdomen.

Upon receiving an order, these aircraft can immediately take off and launch direct attacks on PLA Navy warships.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stressed that the country’s military used various surveillance and investigation methods to watch the entire movement in order to avoid escalating situation. The Ministry said that they wished to uphold the principle of preparing for war rather than seeking it.

Taiwan’s Air Force officers seemed to have confidence in their abilities, claimed that they could sink the CCP’s ships with absolute certainty as long as the Ministry of National Defense issued the order. They added that “one is not enough, then two, one is not enough, then another, until it sinks!”