The Taiwan military conducted amphibious and anti-parachute maneuvers in the southern county of Pingtung Thursday as part of its annual Han Kuang No. 26 exercise. The wargames, which involve a total of 5,000 military personnel from different branches of the armed forces, are being held on the largest scale in recent years. More than 3,000 military personnel participated in the amphibious assault maneuver that took place on a beach in Jialutang with the aim of testing the military's combined land, sea and air combat capability. In the drill, an underwater demolition team from the Marine Corps used explosives to destroy obstacles prior to landing on the beach, while F-16 fighters were deployed to try to repel the attack. Another anti-parachute maneuver, carried out on a farm in Jiadong township, deployed more than 1,400 military personnel, 16 aircraft of various types, 10 vehicles, and 42 kinds of missiles and artillery. A total of 128 paratroopers dropped onto the farm from six transport aircraft to fight off invading forces. Armored vehicles and artillery were also used in the simulated battle. According to military officials, it was a great challenge for the paratroopers to maneuver on a farm where there were many pineapple plants, banana trees and betel nut palms. As a protective measure, the paratroopers were outfitted with special apparel made of puncture-resistant fabric. 