The firing of a Tien Kung I missile during the Han Kuang military exercises on June 5 The firing of a Tien Kung I missile during the Han Kuang military exercises on June 5 (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) －After the second stage of the annual Han Kuang (漢光) military exercises started Monday across the country, President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to Pingtung County on Tuesday to inspect the firings of precision-guided munitions, including missiles that are domestically designed and manufactured.

Even though the live-fire military exercises began with an unfortunate and deadly crash of a F-16 fighter jet on the first day, the exercises continued as scheduled on different parts of the island on Tuesday.

President Tsai arrived at the Jiupeng military base early in the morning to inspect missile launches as part of the annual military exercises, reported Apple Daily. The base in Pingtung County is where most of the weapons developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) are tested.

The exercise at the Jiupeng military base also drew numerous military enthusiasts, who gathered nearby to witness the firings of the Taiwan-manufactured missiles, including the Tien Kung I and II, respectively middle- and long-range surface-to-air missiles, which are primarily intended for air defense applications.

In addition, there were also launches of the US.-made MIM-104 Patriot missiles. The domestically made supersonic anti-ship Hsiung Feng III missiles were also fired during the exercise.

The exercise simulated air assaults by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, with the Tien Kung II missiles fired from a military base in Taitung and then intercepted by those fired from Pingtung County, reported the Central News Agency.

Exercises involving Taiwan's F-16 fighter jets throughout the country have been suspended pending a thorough examination as a result of Monday’s crash in New Taipei's Rueifang District, which killed the pilot, 31-year-old Wu Yen-ting (吳彥霆), but other military aircraft continued to carry out exercises this morning.

The firing of a MIM-104 Patriot missile during the Han Kuang military exercises on June 5 (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense/ Central News Agency)