Warm-up for Han Kuang 42 Exercise! 'Airsoft Shooting Competition' Gains High-Level Attention; Ministry of National Defense to Host Public Event Tomorrow

To strengthen societal defense and reserve resilience, the Ministry of National Defense will hold the '2026 National Airsoft Shooting Competition - Northern Regional Preliminary' tomorrow (25th) at Fuxinggang Camp in Taipei. The event integrates airsoft shooting, Close Quarters Battle (CQB), and battlefield environment simulations, and will open the military base to the public for visits and observation. Today (24th), the Ministry invited media representatives for a preview experience. According to sources, the event has drawn significant attention from high-level national security officials, with personnel dispatched from the Presidential Office. Colonel Yen Chia-hung, Deputy Director of the Ministry's Information and Psychological Operations Division, stated that the competition was organized based on recommendations from the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, aiming to enhance public defense awareness and strengthen societal defense resilience. The military will conduct the Han Kuang 42 Exercise in August. In an interview, Colonel Yen emphasized that this event serves as an ideal demonstration of societal defense resilience and acts as a warm-up for the Han Kuang exercise. He stressed that the Han Kuang exercise is not solely the military's responsibility; the nation must collectively foster the mindset of 'not relying on the enemy not coming, but relying on our preparedness,' with adaptability being the most critical factor. On-site displays will include military equipment such as the AH-64E attack helicopter and UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, various interactive civilian defense experience booths, and drone demonstrations by the Special Operations Command. Police and fire departments will also present an earthquake experience vehicle and set up awareness booths on anti-fraud, drug prevention, and fire safety. The Ministry stated that central and southern regional preliminaries will be organized in the future, with a national semi-final and final tournament featuring the top 32 teams scheduled for 2027. Through continued competitive exchanges and public participation, the initiative aims to enhance citizens' defense knowledge and self-protection capabilities, jointly building a robust whole-of-society defense resilience. Photo: AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. (Photo by Chang Yao-lin)