EDITORIAL: A second shot at preparedness

The military has introduced a new combat training framework this year to improve readiness against the threat from China, the Central News Agency reported on Sunday.

Combat Training Center 2.0 (CTC 2.0) replaces scripted exercises with unscripted scenarios that require troops to respond to unexpected enemy movement and coordinate with other units. The nine-week program includes live-fire exercises, laser engagement systems to simulate combat outcomes, digital tools for sharing battlefield information and reviews.

The approach brings Taiwan closer to the realistic, adaptive training methods used by advanced Western militaries. It could significantly improve combat readiness by teaching troops to adapt when plans break down, coordinate across units and make decisions under pressure. Digital tracking and realistic engagement simulations could also expose weaknesses that scripted demonstrations might miss, allowing the military to address them before a conflict.

However, the extent of the improvement would depend on how rigorously the exercises are conducted, whether lessons lead to changes in tactics and equipment, and how well the training translates into operational performance. CTC 2.0 is not necessarily the nation’s biggest advance in military preparedness, but it represents a meaningful shift toward testing how forces perform under realistic conditions.

The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military operations adds another dimension to this challenge. AI can help commanders process intelligence, identify emerging threats, assess potential courses of action and coordinate forces more quickly. Taiwan is well positioned to benefit from these advances, because it plays a central role in manufacturing the world’s most advanced AI chips. However, access to advanced chips and AI models alone does not guarantee battlefield superiority; the key is integrating them effectively into military operations.

That technological advantage also creates vulnerabilities. Disruptions to Taiwan’s undersea communications cables, including incidents involving China-linked vessels, have highlighted the risks to the infrastructure supporting its digital economy and military communications.

In a conflict, attacks on undersea cables, power supplies, data centers and communications networks could cut military units off from AI tools. Many advanced AI applications rely on cloud services, remote servers and distributed computing, all of which could become inaccessible if networks are damaged or power supplies fail. AI systems designed to operate locally on military hardware could reduce this dependence, but they would not eliminate the risks posed by damaged equipment, depleted power supplies or lost sensor data.

Officers and troops must be able to fight effectively without advanced technology. AI-assisted systems could provide a significant advantage when available, but personnel must still be able to assess threats, interpret incomplete information, coordinate with nearby units and act on their commanders’ intent without digital support. Unscripted exercises such as CTC 2.0 could help develop these skills if they deliberately simulate communications blackouts, disrupted intelligence feeds and the loss of AI assistance. The objective should be a military that combines AI’s speed and analytical power with the adaptability, initiative and judgement of its people.

The US remains a crucial military partner for Taiwan, providing arms, training and advice to help bolster the nation’s defenses. Although it is unclear whether US input directly influenced the adoption of CTC 2.0, the shift creates an opportunity for the two sides to deepen their cooperation in developing increasingly realistic, unscripted exercises. Combining Taiwan’s knowledge of its own operating environment with US expertise in large-scale combat training could help develop approaches tailored to the challenges of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Ultimately, advanced weapons, AI and digital battlefield systems would remain important to the nation’s defense, but technology alone cannot guarantee success. Equipment can be destroyed, communications disrupted and AI systems rendered inaccessible. Well-trained personnel who can think independently, adapt to changing circumstances and continue operating under pressure are indispensable.

By moving away from scripted demonstrations toward realistic, unpredictable combat training, Taiwan acknowledges that its military readiness depends not only on the technology it possesses, but also on its ability to use that technology effectively — and to fight when it is no longer available. CTC 2.0 represents a promising step in that direction, provided the nation sustains the approach, learns from its shortcomings and continues refining its training in cooperation with experienced partners such as the US.