2026 Air Defense Drill Begins August 11! Full Details on Network Throttling and Traffic Control Across 17 Cities, Violators Face Immediate 150,000 TWD Fine

As public awareness of national defense grows, Taiwan's annual air defense drill has entered a major transformation. The Ministry of National Defense announced that starting in 2025, the traditional 'Wan An' and 'Min An' drills have been integrated into a new 'Urban Resilience Air Defense Exercise.' The 2026 drill not only enforces strict pedestrian and vehicle controls but also introduces, for the first time, 'mobile network throttling drills' in central and northern regions. Following drills in southern and central areas, today (August 11) from 13:30, the outlying islands of Kinmen, Lienchiang, and Penghu will conduct air raid evacuation and traffic control drills. The public and tourists are reminded that failure to comply with instructions, unauthorized entry into restricted zones, or lingering outdoors during the drill may result in fines of up to 150,000 New Taiwan Dollars under the Civil Defense Act.

Drill Schedule: - Southern Region: August 7 (Fri), 10:00–10:30 (completed) — Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung — Air raid evacuation, pedestrian and vehicle control - Central Region: August 10 (Mon), 14:30–15:00 (completed) — Miaoli, Taichung, Nantou, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi City and County — Vehicle control + mobile network throttling - Outlying Islands: August 11 (Tue), 13:30–14:00 (today) — Lienchiang, Kinmen, Penghu — Air raid evacuation, pedestrian and vehicle control - Eastern Region: August 12 (Wed), 13:30–14:00 — Hualien, Taitung — Air raid evacuation, pedestrian and vehicle control - Northern Region: August 13 (Thu), 14:30–15:00 — Yilan, Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and County — Vehicle control + mobile network throttling

2026 Drill Highlights: First-Ever Network Throttling The 2026 Urban Resilience Drill is divided into two phases: central (August 10) and northern (August 13). The biggest change is the introduction of 'mobile network throttling drills,' modeled after practices in Japan and South Korea, to simulate extreme scenarios and encourage the public to prepare alternative communication methods. The National Communications Commission (NCC) clarified that this is not a complete blackout but a bandwidth limitation on mobile networks.

What Services Are Affected? - Unaffected: Voice calls, SMS-based Cell Broadcast System (CBS) emergency alerts, and emergency calls (110, 119) - Affected: High-bandwidth services such as video streaming, video calls, online gaming, cloud syncing, and mobile payments may experience lag or fail to load.

The NCC advises minimizing mobile data use during drills, relying on fixed-line internet, and completing essential online tasks (e.g., downloads, transactions) before or after the drill. NCC Infrastructure Division Director Liang Bozhou recommends carrying physical transit cards, credit cards, or cash for transportation and purchases, as QR codes for mobile payments or e-tickets may not load.

How to Recognize Air Raid Alerts Without a Phone While smartphones will receive a 'National Air Defense Alert' SMS, those without phones should recognize the two types of siren signals: - Emergency Alert (drill start): One 15-second long tone followed by two 5-second short tones, repeated three times with 5-second intervals between each tone. - All-Clear Alert (drill end): A continuous 90-second long tone.

What to Do If You're Outside During the Drill When the alert sounds, follow these guidelines: - Drivers and cyclists: Immediately pull over, turn off engines, and exit vehicles. Follow police and civil defense personnel to designated shelters. - Pedestrians: Do not linger on streets; enter buildings or basements immediately.

Public Transit, Airports, and Highways - High-speed rail, TRA, MRT, and flights: Continue operating, but stations and airports enforce 'entry only, no exit' rules. Arriving passengers must remain indoors. - Highways: Main lanes operate normally, but vehicles exiting at interchanges must pull over and evacuate as directed by police.

Indoor Evacuation: What to Do at Home or Work Follow the '3-Step Evacuation Protocol': 1. Turn off water, electricity, and gas. 2. Close and lock doors and windows, draw curtains, and turn off lights. 3. Stay away from exterior walls and glass windows. Use stairs, not elevators, to reach basements to avoid entrapment during power outages.

Will Food Delivery Still Work? Delivery platforms (e.g., Foodpanda, Uber Eats) will suspend service during drills. Stores and malls in drill zones must close, and customers must remain indoors. Hospitals continue operations, but entry/exit flow is controlled.

Penalties for Non-Compliance: Up to 150,000 TWD Fine Under Articles 21 and 25 of the Civil Defense Act, violations include: - Walking, cycling, or riding motorcycles during restrictions - Refusing to pull over when instructed by police or civil defense personnel - Refusing to enter designated shelters - Forcibly crossing restricted zones

Finding the Nearest Shelter The Ministry of the Interior advises prioritizing underground over above-ground, indoor over outdoor, and staying away from exterior walls and hazardous materials. Adopt a crouched position, cover eyes and ears, and slightly lift the body off the ground to reduce blast impact. Use the National Police Agency's 'Police Service App' or the Civil Defense Command Center's shelter map to locate nearby shelters in advance.