Taiwan live military exercise spotlights China readiness

CHANGHUA COUNTY, Taiwan, May 15 (Reuters) Taiwan today launched a series of live military exercises designed to thwart an attack from arch-rival China, amid concerns that some of the military's aircraft were too old and poorly maintained.

The exercises began with the landing of six fighter jets on a closed section of freeway in central Taiwan less than a week after the crash of an ageing F-5F jet left four servicemen dead, including two visiting soldiers from Singapore.

Starting at 0618 hrs local time, the jets, including US-made F-16s, French Mirage 2000s and domestically-built Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDFs), screeched to a halt in quick succession along the six-lane freeway, around 200 kms south of the capital Taipei.

They were on the ground for about one hour for refuelling and re-arming with missiles and bombs before roaring off again.

Curious bystanders watched the landings and take-offs from the roofs of nearby warehouses and from rice paddy fields that shouldered one side of the road.

The drill was aimed at simulating an alternative location where fighter jets could re-equip if the island's air bases were destroyed by Chinese attacks.

It was the first in a series of live military drills, including one set for tomorrow, to demonstrate how the island's forces could repel an amphibious assault, and another on Thursday consisting of manouvres to counter an airborne attack.

Taiwan and China have lived in a state of constant military readiness since 1949 when the Chinese Nationalist government lost a civil war to Mao Zedong's Communists and fled to the island.

Beijing says the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to reclaim it.

The today drill marked the second time in recent history that Taiwan has practiced such landings. In July 2004 two Mirage fighter jets conducted a similar drill for the first time in 26 years The live military exercise marked the second stage of the larger annual Han Kuang or Chinese Glory exercise. The first stage of the Han Kuang exercise involved mostly virtual drills, and recently wrapped up after about a month.

The exercises have been taking place amid concerns that some of Taiwan's aircraft were too old and poorly maintained, after last week's accident that occurred when the 1970s-era plane crashed while pulling out of a simulated low-level attack.

That incident followed the crash of a Vietnam War-era army helicopter in April that killed eight personnel.

The United Daily news today cited senior airforce officers as saying that only around 65 per cent of the island's Mirage jets were airworthy.

REUTERS AK ND1134