The Han Kuang 42 live-troop exercise entered its third day with a scenario simulating a PLA missile attack on Taiwan. The Ministry of National Defense invited media to cover the drills at the Hsinchu base, home to the Air Force's 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing. The Air Force conducted Mirage 2000 air-to-air missile loading, runway repair, and emergency fighter takeoff exercises.
For the weapons loading drill, the wing's maintenance unit loaded Magic II and MICA missiles onto a single-seat Mirage 2000 (aircraft number 2035). The Magic II, a short-range air-to-air missile, was loaded by hand onto the wing; the MICA, a medium-range missile, was loaded onto the fuselage using a dedicated bomb-loading vehicle. The configuration was the "restore" standard air defense loadout: two MICA missiles, two Magic missiles, and two drop tanks.
The runway repair drill simulated a large crater caused by an enemy missile strike. The facilities squadron used excavators, dump trucks, and rollers to backfill and compact the crater, then deployed fiberglass mats over the repaired area. Squadron leader Major Lin Zhi-xuan stated the standard is to complete crater filling within four hours, with drones currently used to assess runway damage.
The wing concluded with an emergency takeoff drill at the south alert facility. Two single-seat Mirage 2000s, carrying two MICA missiles, two Magic missiles, and two underwing drop tanks, executed a six-minute alert posture. After the alarm sounded, pilots and ground crew rushed to the aircraft, and both fighters taxied out of the alert shelter in under five minutes to execute their takeoff mission.
The Air Force stated that weapons loading requires specialized personnel to complete external weapon and drop tank loading within a designated time limit, categorized as either "complete" or "restore" combat readiness. Wing officers and standby pilots wore domestically produced T75K3 pistols, tactical vests, and helmets to simulate wartime conditions.
