Improperly secured artillery shells being transported by a civilian truck in Miaoli County accidentally rolled off the vehicle and onto the road. The incident occurred on Sunday, August 9, the fifth day of the annual Han Kuang military exercise. 

Military officials said no personnel, equipment, or vehicles were damaged in the incident and acknowledged that there is room for improvement in outsourced operations.

The military verifies civilian personnel and resource mobilization capacity annually during the Han Kuang exercise. However, in the past it has mostly involved conducting inventory and capacity review, and rarely directing civilian operators to handle highly sensitive military equipment or ordnance.

Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s (INDSR) Division of Defense Strategy and Resources Director Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said that the wartime requisition and integration of civilian personnel and resources is critical to whether the armed forces can sustain combat capabilities. While the incident highlighted challenges in military-civilian cooperation, it also provided valuable lessons for real-world operations.

Su said that integration of civilian personnel, resources, and military forces can be viewed as part of overall defense capability. The incident involving the transport of artillery shells came as a result of attempting such integration. Su noted that the purpose of exercises is precisely to identify potential problems during training.