U.S. Navy holds war games to deter Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Official

Washington, June 12 (CNA) The U.S. Navy regularly conducts global war games to develop deterrence strategies against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, aiming to make the island "a very difficult target to take," said Acting Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday, Kilby said the Navy has studied the issue extensively, including routine simulations at the Naval War College.

According to Kilby, the Navy is currently focusing on five key areas: long-range strike capabilities; countering China's C5ISRT (command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting); terminal ship defense; contested logistics; and nontraditional maritime denial tactics.

The Navy is actively investing in and experimenting with new technologies in these areas, Kilby said, adding that he recently met with Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo and Pacific Fleet Commander Stephen Koehler in San Diego to accelerate deployment.

When asked whether a US$13 billion aircraft carrier or unmanned systems would be more useful for Taiwan's defense, Kilby said he would prefer deploying drones on the island.

"It's a hard question to answer without qualifying questions, but if I could put those drones on Taiwan, I'd put them on Taiwan," he said.

Also at the hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced pressure from Rep. Don Bacon, who called for faster arms deliveries to Taiwan, citing the urgent need for sea mines and other defense systems.

Hegseth emphasized that the Pentagon is no longer just reviewing the matter but taking active steps. He acknowledged that while previous administrations have pledged to shift focus to the Indo-Pacific, "the department had not put in place" those changes.