In a joint military exercise between the US and Japan, China has, for the first time, been designated as the “simulated enemy.” According to reports from various media outlets including Global Times, the United States and Japan conducted the “Sharp Blade” joint military exercise, with the objective of military intervention in the Taiwan Strait. This exercise, compared to previous ones, exhibits two major changes:
Firstly, China has transitioned from being an ambiguous opponent to a “simulated enemy.” Conceptually, the target is now China.
In the event of a situation arising in the Taiwan Strait, Japan and the United States would consider the actions of the Chinese military in the region as the target of their operations. By openly designating China as a “simulated enemy” for the first time, the operational exercises and plans of the US and Japan can now be equated with combat scenarios. Through this change in terminology, the tense standoff relationship can be more clearly understood.
Secondly, real map data has been utilized. Previously, whether in exercise scenarios or backgrounds, settings were vague, encompassing certain maritime or aerial domains. Although real targets could be represented on maps to some extent, they were ultimately virtual rather than genuine.
In this “Sharp Blade” computer-simulated exercise, a large amount of real geographical locations, coordinates, and ranges around the Taiwan Strait were used as the battlefield environment. This indicates that this training can be equated with actual combat.
From these two characteristics, it is evident that practical operational plans are being developed by the US and Japan regarding potential incidents in the Taiwan Strait.
Currently, there is significant activity in the direction of the southwestern islands. Regardless of whether it’s the construction of docks or ammunition depots on islands like Yonaguni and Miyako, or other preparations for combat, everything seems poised for action. Now, with large-scale exercise operations designating China as a “simulated enemy,” different combat scenarios are being developed.
According to the current basic assumptions of the United States and Japan, if there were an incident in the Taiwan Strait, what would be the steps for joint intervention by the US and Japan? What are the plans? What actions would be taken? Also, the coordination between the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other NATO countries would need to be incorporated.
In the future, regarding intervention in the Taiwan Strait issue, the US and Japan aim to form a “2+N” structure. In addition to the US and Japan, more US allies will join in. Targeted deployments around the Taiwan Strait will enhance combat effectiveness and operational efficiency.
This change, compared to the past, signifies a significant shift, indicating that the US and Japan are not just paying lip service to the situation in the Taiwan Strait but are rather taking real operational actions. This poses a major challenge for us.
With the geographical proximity of the southwestern islands, the surrounding presence of US aircraft carrier strike groups, the besieging and striking effects of various combat bases, multiple layers of firepower deployment, and successive support operations, the situation seems on the brink. The exercises and preparations by the US and Japan in the vicinity are all aimed at the Taiwan Strait.
This suggests that if there were an incident in the Taiwan Strait, the basic idea of the United States would probably involve aiding Taiwan, engaging in a prolonged war against “Taiwan independence” forces, and conducting both a “proxy war” and “hybrid warfare” for the US. Through “hybrid warfare,” our maritime transport routes would be cut off, coastal targets would be besieged and struck, and military deterrence against important targets would be applied. This is probably similar to what has been seen in Ukraine.
In summary, in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, the United States is particularly interested in military operations against the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea. The United States and the United Kingdom are providing Ukraine with unmanned boats, drones, underwater unmanned vehicles, as well as various air-launched missiles and anti-ship missiles.
Next, there will be some support in terms of underwater weapon systems in the Taiwan region. If the effect seen in the Black Sea could be replicated in the Taiwan Strait to create a “Taiwan Strait effect,” this would, in his view, further enhance the striking and controlling capabilities against the powerful Chinese navy and the strong Russian military in the Black Sea direction.
From this perspective, in the future, relying on the superior maritime and aerial combat technology and capabilities of the United States, the striking effects will surpass those on land. Because he knows that the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army on land are formidable, the striking effects formed by the “water barrier” in the Taiwan Strait should provide an absolute advantage.
However, if it comes to the ocean, to the vast expanse of the sea, the United States and Japan believe that their advantages can gradually be demonstrated. Even in the Indo-Pacific Command, different commanders of various services have stated that if there were an incident in the Taiwan Strait, they would be responsible for ship-to-ship combat and air combat.
In conclusion, from the aspect of blocking the Taiwan Strait, the United States and Japan are exerting special efforts. Their goal is to disrupt the strategic deployment of the People’s Liberation Army to attack Taiwan, thereby creating a battlefield blockade effect and efficiently impeding the operational actions of the Chinese military. The change from name alterations to operational changes, to becoming a “simulated enemy” for the first time, indicates that the exercises by the US and Japan in the vicinity are highly targeted. (Du Wenlong)