Tianlong Exercise Opens on 11th 空軍「天龍操演」今日展開 地.空部隊競技

The Tianlong Exercise, which was delayed a week due to poor weather, opened on Nov. 7 with aerial and ground technical drills.  

At 8 a.m. on the 7th, F-16Vs take off from Hualien Air Force Base. The Tianlong Exercise was delayed a week due to weather, and will be held from the 7th to 11th. The exercise includes technical combat drills in the air and on the ground. On the 6th, 46 PRC aircraft including drones, Su-30s and JH-7s were spotted off of northern Taiwan.

Chen Kuo-ming, News Editor, Defence International: “China's Air Force is using its military fleet to intimidate Taiwan. It's like they're saying, "We have more aircraft and more types of aircraft, including jet fighters and drones, than you." ”

Su Tzu-yun, Director, Div. of Defense Strategy & Resources, INDSR: “JH-7s are equipped with new air-to-ground missiles. In the future, they may be a main source of attack with drones playing a complementary role.”

Su Tzu-yun says the PRC sent out older aircraft like JH-7s to reduce the logistical burden on more advanced aircraft. According to Su, this is evidence that PRC aircraft have an engine life span of just 12.5 percent compared to Taiwan's fighters. National Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng says Taiwan is prepared for war at a moment's notice and the military will not wait for orders to set up combat zones.

Su Tzu-yun, Director, Div. of Defense Strategy & Resources, INDSR: “Combat zones can be like "mini-Hengshans." If Hengshan Command Center goes down, combat zones can spring up and operate independently.”

Su says this will help the military's overall existence and response. Chen Kuo-ming says frontline commanders all have independent authority to order the engagement of frontline troops. The military says it will not provoke China but it will fight to the end if it has to.

F-16V戰機7號早上8時多陸續從花蓮空軍基地起飛，原定上週開始的天龍操演，因為天氣因素順延一週到今天7日到11日登場，是空軍部隊作戰訓練成果的重大測考，各個飛行部隊、地面部隊進行戰技競賽。但6日共機再出動46架次擾台，其中蘇愷30、殲轟-7、無人機還在北部現蹤。

全球防衛雜誌採訪主任陳國銘指出：「中國空軍他也是藉由龐大的軍機來威嚇台灣說，你們空軍有天龍操演是不是，我的架次比你多，而且我的機種比你多，包含有人戰機、無人機。」

國防院戰略所所長蘇紫雲表示：「殲轟-7也配置了新的一些空對地飛彈，所以它出海進行演練，搭配無人機，未來可能就會變成是說，主力戰機擔任主攻，這些殲轟-7還有無人機就當作輔助的角色。」

蘇紫雲認為，共軍會派像殲轟-7這樣的老式飛機，另外一個原因就是要減輕現役機隊中先進戰機的後勤負擔，因為共機的發動機壽命只有國軍戰機的八分之一左右。台海局勢持續緊張，國防部長邱國正日前更宣示，一旦遭遇突發狀況，立即以作戰區為主體，不待命令，立即處置。

國防院戰略所所長蘇紫雲說道：「這就是各個作戰區它現在等於是，可以變成以往稱的小衡山，如果萬一衡山指揮所失聯的話，各個作戰區還是可以獨立作戰。」

蘇紫雲說、這有助於國軍整體生存跟反擊。陳國銘則說，前線部隊如果遇到狀況，要怎麼反應，第一線的指揮官都有獨立的接戰權責。隨著兩岸情勢升溫，共軍對台灣加大軍事壓力，國軍則會秉持不主動挑釁，但若真的要迎戰共軍，也會戰鬥到最後一刻。