Taiwan Announces 3-Day Joint Precision-Strike Live-Fire Drill at Jiupeng Base

Taiwan's military announced a three-day joint precision-munitions live-fire exercise running Wednesday through Friday (Sept. 16-18, 2026) at Jioupeng Base in Pingtung County, with warning zones extending off the southeastern coast from Taitung to Pingtung counties toward Green Island and Orchid Island. The drill, involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, is designed to test long-range precision-strike capability and joint wartime combat coordination; planned systems include Patriot and Tian Kung (Sky Bow) air-defense missiles, Hsiung Feng (Brave Wind) II/III anti-ship missiles, HIMARS and ALTIUS-600M loitering munitions, with the decommissioned Chi Yang-class frigate Lan Yang serving as a target vessel. The Navy will separately conduct wartime-transition procedures during the exercise. PAC-3 interceptors are expected to be excluded unless separately approved by Washington, given cost and data-sensitivity concerns.