2026 Urban Resilience Exercise: Changhua County to Lead Drills on April 22
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced the 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will take place across 11 counties from April to August, starting in Changhua. The drills will focus on unscripted, practical simulations of wartime scenarios.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 16:37
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 17:01 (24 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 20:52 (51h 50m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporters Lai Yu-chen, Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, 16th) The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will be conducted across 11 counties and cities from April to August. The Ministry of National Defense pointed out that the drills are divided into two stages: wargames and comprehensive field operations. Key focus areas include evacuation and withdrawal, medical retreats, wartime traffic control, and strategic communications, with Changhua County leading the first drill on the 22nd.
Today, the Ministry of National Defense reported at the Executive Yuan meeting on the preparation plans, drill focuses, and features of the "2026 Urban Resilience (All-out Defense Mobilization) Exercise." This includes verifying how local governments integrate public and private sector response capabilities to protect citizens, maintain continuous operations of core government and social functions, and support military operations when necessary, hoping to enhance local government response measures during disasters or wartime.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih relayed during the post-meeting press conference that Premier Cho Jung-tai stated the purpose of the exercise is to identify problems and make immediate improvements, rather than demanding a flawless performance. The drill is not just a one-off event but needs to be institutionalized and normalized. He urged all ministries and local governments to work together to elevate the collaborative capacity of central and local defense resilience, enabling swift responses and actions when facing emergencies or extreme scenarios, thereby building a resilient national defense system.
According to the Ministry of National Defense's plan, the 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will be carried out over "two consecutive days" by 11 local governments, including Changhua County, from April to August. The first session will be held by the Changhua County Government on April 22 and 23, followed sequentially from May to July by six counties and cities: Miaoli County, Hsinchu County, Chiayi County, Taoyuan City, Yunlin County, and Nantou County. Additionally, in August, aligning with the Ministry of National Defense's Han Kuang Exercise No. 42 live-fire drills, four counties and cities—New Taipei City, Yilan County, Kaohsiung City, and Pingtung County—will conduct "cross-district collaborative" drills.
The Ministry of National Defense stated that the exercise is divided into two stages: wargames and comprehensive field operations. The wargames on the first day will be conducted with "scenarios but no scripts." During the "comprehensive field operations" on the second day, the outcomes of the wargames will be incorporated into the drills. Following the requirements of "acting upon command, starting from scratch, and continuous training," operations will involve real people, real materials, actual locations, live scenarios, and practical executions. The core subjects include civil-military integration themes such as preventive evacuation, medical retreats, wartime traffic control, and issues related to strategic communication.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien explained at the post-meeting press conference that the Urban Resilience Exercise will practically operate various key subjects. Furthermore, the four counties and cities coordinating with the Han Kuang Exercise in August will not be able to prepare in advance; instead, they must execute operations synchronized with the live-fire drill scenarios. There is no room for theatrical performances, and assessment teams will be on-site to verify. The goal is to root defense capabilities within society through training, understand the "decision-making" and "command and control" of local leaders under extreme pressure, verify local governments' resource support coordination and utilization, and uncover obstacles and problems in current plans. (Editors: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150416
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(CNA Reporters Lai Yu-chen, Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, 16th) The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will be conducted across 11 counties and cities from April to August. The Ministry of National Defense pointed out that the drills are divided into two stages: wargames and comprehensive field operations. Key focus areas include evacuation and withdrawal, medical retreats, wartime traffic control, and strategic communications, with Changhua County leading the first drill on the 22nd.
Today, the Ministry of National Defense reported at the Executive Yuan meeting on the preparation plans, drill focuses, and features of the "2026 Urban Resilience (All-out Defense Mobilization) Exercise." This includes verifying how local governments integrate public and private sector response capabilities to protect citizens, maintain continuous operations of core government and social functions, and support military operations when necessary, hoping to enhance local government response measures during disasters or wartime.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Li Hui-chih relayed during the post-meeting press conference that Premier Cho Jung-tai stated the purpose of the exercise is to identify problems and make immediate improvements, rather than demanding a flawless performance. The drill is not just a one-off event but needs to be institutionalized and normalized. He urged all ministries and local governments to work together to elevate the collaborative capacity of central and local defense resilience, enabling swift responses and actions when facing emergencies or extreme scenarios, thereby building a resilient national defense system.
According to the Ministry of National Defense's plan, the 2026 Urban Resilience Exercise will be carried out over "two consecutive days" by 11 local governments, including Changhua County, from April to August. The first session will be held by the Changhua County Government on April 22 and 23, followed sequentially from May to July by six counties and cities: Miaoli County, Hsinchu County, Chiayi County, Taoyuan City, Yunlin County, and Nantou County. Additionally, in August, aligning with the Ministry of National Defense's Han Kuang Exercise No. 42 live-fire drills, four counties and cities—New Taipei City, Yilan County, Kaohsiung City, and Pingtung County—will conduct "cross-district collaborative" drills.
The Ministry of National Defense stated that the exercise is divided into two stages: wargames and comprehensive field operations. The wargames on the first day will be conducted with "scenarios but no scripts." During the "comprehensive field operations" on the second day, the outcomes of the wargames will be incorporated into the drills. Following the requirements of "acting upon command, starting from scratch, and continuous training," operations will involve real people, real materials, actual locations, live scenarios, and practical executions. The core subjects include civil-military integration themes such as preventive evacuation, medical retreats, wartime traffic control, and issues related to strategic communication.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien explained at the post-meeting press conference that the Urban Resilience Exercise will practically operate various key subjects. Furthermore, the four counties and cities coordinating with the Han Kuang Exercise in August will not be able to prepare in advance; instead, they must execute operations synchronized with the live-fire drill scenarios. There is no room for theatrical performances, and assessment teams will be on-site to verify. The goal is to root defense capabilities within society through training, understand the "decision-making" and "command and control" of local leaders under extreme pressure, verify local governments' resource support coordination and utilization, and uncover obstacles and problems in current plans. (Editors: Lin Hsing-meng) 1150416
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The text, images, and audio-visuals on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.