Three of Taiwan’s field army commands will each conduct anti-landing drills this month on “red” beaches within their jurisdictions.

The first drill, conducted by the Tainan-based Eighth Army Corps, will take place on Wednesday at the Sishu Coastal Recreation Area’s public beach.

The Sixth Army Corps will train on Jhongfu Beach (中福海灘) in New Taipei City on June 18, while the Tenth Army Corps will hold a live-fire drill on June 26 at Taichung’s Caocuosi Beach (草厝溪海灘), the agency stated.

The military has been enhancing its defence protocols with weapons practices, war games, and live-fire drills on the nation’s “red beaches.”

Taiwan’s beaches are categorized by three color codes: Red beaches are the most susceptible to large-scale landing operations and potential Chinese People’s Liberation Army invasions; yellow zones could see unconventional landing operations; and blue beaches are challenging to invade.

Anti-landing drills involving live fire on beaches aim to familiarize soldiers with potential battlefield conditions, the military explained. The unique environmental factors of beach settings, such as wind and sand, can affect visibility and weapon functionality, making them different from controlled environment practices.

The military has increased the number of anti-landing drills on red beaches, including the Sishu Coastal Recreation Area in Tainan. Publicly accessible areas previously only saw basic drills, like physical training and hardware construction, until the first live-fire exercise at Taoyuan’s Guanyin Coastal Recreation Area at the end of last year.

The selection of the three red beaches for this month’s drills aligns with tactical evaluations by analyst Ian M. Easton in his book “The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia.” Easton identified Sishu (喜樹) as a potential target due to its proximity to key locations like Taoyuan International Airport, Tainan Air Base, and the Coastal Highway. Jhongfu Beach is strategically close to Taoyuan International Airport and Linkou Power Plant, while Caocuosi Beach is near Taichung International Airport, which also serves as an air base.