Taiwan’s military has successfully conducted the first live-fire test of its indigenously developed Land Sword II surface-to-air missile, a key move to bolster the island’s air defense capabilities. During the exercise in Pingtung County, troops from the 43rd and 58th Artillery Command launched three missiles within 30 minutes, all of which hit drone targets. Colonel He Hsiang-i, deputy commander of the 43rd Artillery Command, stated that the test was designed to assess combat readiness and training standards amid escalating tensions with China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to reclaim it.
