Taiwan’s armed forces began a five-day “Immediate Combat Readiness” exercise on 22 June, designed to test the island’s ability to shift from peacetime operations to a wartime footing within hours. The drill, which involves live-fire manoeuvres, armoured patrols in urban areas including Taoyuan, and the occupation of tactical positions by army, navy and air force units, was announced shortly after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted its second “long-range maritime training mission” of the year. Taiwan’s defence ministry said the exercise would be “maximally realistic” and focused on the critical pre-conflict phase, when units must receive orders, requisition equipment and deploy to defensive positions.

Viewed from Taipei, the drill reflects a structural reassessment of the threat environment. Defence officials have stated that the PLA’s increasingly frequent air and naval sorties around the island have blurred the distinction between peacetime and wartime, compressing the time available to respond to a crisis. In parallel, Taiwan has abolished its dual-track reservist training system: since January, all reservists must now complete a 14-day intensive programme, rather than choosing a shorter option, a change the defence ministry says is intended to ensure reserve forces can more effectively support regular troops. Separately, the first of four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones acquired from the United States for $687 million has arrived on the island, with Taiwanese defence researchers noting that the platform’s primary value lies in real-time intelligence interoperability with US, Japanese and other partner militaries.

From Beijing’s perspective, Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and the PLA’s regular patrols and exercises are legitimate measures to safeguard national sovereignty. Chinese officials have reiterated a preference for peaceful reunification but do not exclude the use of force, particularly if the issue remains unresolved by the centenary of the People’s Republic in 2049. Analysts in European capitals note a pattern of “grey zone” activity: China has increased the frequency of naval and coastguard deployments around Taiwan, including a surge of over 100 vessels in late May 2026 and a westward push on 6 June following a Taiwan-Japan maritime agreement. The aim, according to these assessments, is to normalise a persistent military presence, desensitise Taiwan’s defences and public opinion, and gradually alter the status quo without triggering an overt armed clash — a method Beijing has employed over two decades in the South China Sea.

Western defence officials view the combination of Taiwan’s drill tempo, reservist overhaul and drone acquisition as indicators that Taipei is preparing for a scenario in which strategic warning time continues to shrink. The United States’ ongoing arms deliveries, which Beijing condemns as interference in internal affairs and a crossing of a “red line”, add a layer of great-power friction. The immediate next step on the Taiwanese side is the annual Han Kuang field exercise, scheduled for late July, which will simulate prolonged joint operations. On the Chinese side, no formal change in patrol posture has been announced, but the pattern of semi-annual large-scale naval manoeuvres — observed in December 2025 and again in May 2026 — suggests that sustained pressure will remain a feature of the security landscape in the Taiwan Strait.