The island’s armed force put on a display of hardware this morning at a military base in Hsinchu  – as it practiced for the July 4th military event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the second Sino-Japanese War.

The full rehearsal is in preparation for the military parade in July at Hukou army base.

National Defense Minister Gao Guang-zhi, who served as chief inspector at the event, said more than 3800 military personnel took part in rehearsal. Gao says the participants had trained intensively for more than 3 months.

The rehearsal started with a flyover of 3 Apache and Supercobra attack helicopters, as well as 3 Black Hawks. The flyover was followed by maneuvers from F-16, IDF, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

The highlight of the rehearsal was an assault drill involving transport helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, and a group of special forces soldiers.

These were followed with a ground parade displaying weapons systems, and old aircraft used during the 8-year Sino-Japanese war between 1937 and 1945.

The Defense Ministry says on July 4th, veterans soldiers who fought in the war will join the parade, and the event will be the largest military display in recent years.

 

photos via Ralph Derrick Ho