Taiwan's Urban Defense Strategy Against a Chinese Invasion: A Tactical Blueprint Introduction Taiwan's ability to defend its urban environments, particularly Taipei, from a potential Chinese invasion will be critical to its survival. Urban warfare is among the most complex and brutal forms of combat, where the defender has significant advantages due to the density of buildings, streets, and subterranean infrastructure. Taiwan's defense will hinge on its ability to maximize these advantages, leveraging bothconventional military tactics and irregular guerrilla warfare to delay, attrit, and ultimately repel Chinese forces. Drawing from lessons detailed in the Urban Warfare SMART Book and the Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender, this guide provides a comprehensive blueprint for how Taiwan can defend its cities. This approach will focus on Taipei as a core example of Taiwan's urban environment but can be extrapolated to other key urban areas. The defense of Taiwan's cities requires a multi-layered strategy that leverages flexibility,preparation, disruption, and mass and concentration of forces, while also making full use of underground infrastructure, advanced weapon systems, and irregular tactics to offset the attacker’s superior numbers and firepower. Strategic Overview: The Defensive Advantage in Urban Warfare In urban warfare, the defense is the strongest form of combat. As John Spencer emphasizes in his Mini- Manual for the Urban Defender, attackers must come to you, and you must be in prepared positions. Cities like Taipei offer naturaldefensive advantages due to their dense infrastructure and complex urban layouts, which can turn every street and alleyway into a kill zone. Urban Terrain and Its Advantages: * Cover and Concealment: Buildings, especially those made of reinforced concrete, provide excellent protection for defenders. Urban defenders can utilize both high-rise buildings and underground tunnels to remain hidden from the attacker's surveillance, drones, and airstrikes.Restricted Mobility for Attackers: Chinese forces would face difficulty maneuvering large mechanized units through narrow streets, rubble-filled intersections, and blocked roads. Taiwan must exploit this by placing multiple barriers and obstacles to slow enemy advances and funnel them into ambushes. Information Asymmetry: Defenders have a better understanding of the urban terrain, knowing hidden routes, vantage points, and underground systems. This knowledge allowsdefenders to surprise and disorient attackers. Doctrine of Defense: ¢ Flexibility: Urban defense requires continuous adaptation. Taiwan's forces must remain fluid, able to shift forces rapidly to counter enemy thrusts, leveraging small teams to harass and delay the invaders. * Operations in Depth: Taiwan’s defenders should aim to engage the enemy as far out from critical urban centers as possible, using the outer suburbs as a buffer.Layered defensive positions and kill zones must extend outward from the heart of Taipei to delay and disrupt enemy forces. ¢ Disruption and Ambushes: Disrupting the enemy's command and control, logistics, and movement through the city is key. Taiwan's defenders must aim to separate Chinese infantry from their armor, trap mechanized columns in urban choke points, and ambush them with anti-tank weapons like Javelins and RPG-7s. Phased Defense of TaipeiThe defense of Taipei, or any major urban environment in Taiwan, will unfold in several phases. Each phase corresponds to the expected progression of a Chinese assault, beginning with aerial and missile bombardments and culminating in a ground invasion. Phase 1: Preparing the City for Defense Before any attack, the first line of defense is preparation. The defender must turn the city into a fortress long before the first shots are fired.1. Construction of Fortifications and Obstacles ¢ Barriers: Reinforced concrete barriers, sandbags, and rubble should be strategically placed at all major intersections and roadways. Blockades using buses, construction vehicles, or other heavy objects can slow down enemy movement. ¢ Example: Build multiple lines of defense along major roads leading into Taipei, such as Zhongshan North Road and Ren’ai Road. Use materials likesteel-reinforced concrete and rebar to create roadblocks that will force Chinese vehicles to navigate through dangerous chokepoints. Bridges and Infrastructure: Destroy key bridges to prevent rapid entry into the city, while preserving some bridges to allow rapid redeployment of defending forces. The Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender advises that defenders should pre-emptively block or destroy airfields and ports to deny Chinese forces a means of rapid entry into urban areas.Example: Blowing key bridges over the Tamsui River can deny the enemy direct access to the western side of Taipei, while also hindering their ability to deploy amphibious forces via the city’s port. Subterranean Defense: Taiwan should utilize its underground infrastructure to build command posts, supply depots, and protected movement routes. If these do not exist, defenders must dig tunnels and makeshift underground shelters.¢ Example: Use the Taipei Metro system as a network of tunnels for moving troops and supplies out of sight of Chinese aerial surveillance. If certain metro lines do not provide access to key areas, civilian teams should dig small tunnels to connect vital routes. 2. Prepositioning Supplies Defenders must stockpile large quantities of ammunition, weapons, food, medical supplies, and water at strategic locations throughout the city. Urban warfare consumes enormousamounts of ammunition. Example Weapons: Taiwan should stockpile thousands of rounds for M4 carbines, AK-47s, M240 machine guns, and anti- tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like Javelins and NLAWs. Additionally, RPG-7s should be positioned in key areas where ambushes against Chinese armor are expected. Example Ammunition: Gather grenades (including both fragmentation and smoke), sniper rounds for M40 sniper rifles, and anti-personnel minesto slow down infantry. 3. Blocking Roads and Airfields All roads leading into the city must be blocked with cars, rubble, and barricades. Create serpentine patterns with these obstacles to slow vehicles and expose them to attack. ¢ Example: Block the Songshan Airport to prevent Chinese forces from landing troops or supplies. Phase 2: Withstanding Bombardment and Surviving the Initial AssaultOnce Chinese forces initiate their attack, they will likely start with missile and air bombardments to soften defenses and demoralize the defenders. In this phase, survival and evasion are key. 1. Surviving the Bombardment * Underground Shelters: Fighters must use underground shelters to survive aerial bombardments. Civilian populations must be evacuated or moved to bomb shelters well ahead of the assault.Example: Pre-built shelters in metro stations can serve as temporary hideouts for both military personnel and civilians. If none are available, defenders must dig bomb shelters beneath buildings. Hiding Fighting Positions: Fighters should stay hidden inside buildings, away from windows, and avoid detection by drones or aerial reconnaissance. Buildings with thick concrete walls, such as government and university buildings, should be used as strong points.¢ Example: Concealment from Chinese drones and satellites is crucial. Use tarps or sheets between buildings, as mentioned in the Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender, to block aerial observation. 2. Ambush and Delay * Chinese forces will likely attempt to advance through key routes into Taipei. Defenders must delay this advance by launching ambushes from concealed positions, striking quickly, and then retreating.« Example Ambush Tactics: Teams of 3-5 fighters armed with AK-47s, RPG-7s, and M72 LAW rocket launchers can strike Chinese armored columns. Focus on hitting the first and last vehicles in a convoy to trap the rest in a kill zone. ¢ Attack from Elevated Positions: High-rise buildings provide excellent vantage points for ambushes. Use sniper teams equipped with M40 or SR-25 rifles to target Chinese infantry and officers. ¢ Example: Defenders in buildingsnear Taipei 101 or other skyscrapers should have pre- made firing positions in upper floors, using concrete walls for protection while firing on exposed Chinese forces below. Phase 3: Direct Engagement and Defending Key Areas As Chinese forces breach the outer defensive lines and attempt to enter the city, the nature of the fighting will shift to intense street battles. Here, urban defenders must engage in a mix of attrition tactics and guerrilla warfare, all while defending key strategic locations.1. Hugging the Enemy Close-Quarters Combat (CQC): Defenders must get close to the attackers to limit the effectiveness of enemy artillery and air support. The concept of “hugging” the enemy prevents them from using heavy firepower for fear of hitting their own forces. Example: Use small, mobile units armed with M4 carbines, MP5 submachine guns, and Glock 17s for CQC in dense areas like Ximending District. Use grenadesand Molotov cocktails to engage enemy infantry as they enter buildings or attempt to clear them. Building Strongpoints: Certain buildings must be turned into strongpoints where defenders can hold out for extended periods. These buildings should have fortified walls, multiple firing points, and supplies to sustain the defense. Example: Turn Taipei 101 or government buildings like the Presidential Office Building into strongpoints, using sandbags,steel-reinforced concrete, and sniper nests. Ensure multiple escape routes through underground tunnels or mouseholes (holes in walls to move between buildings undetected). 2. Anti-Tank Warfare * Chinese forces will rely on tanks and mechanized units to push through the city. Taiwan's defenders must focus on eliminating these vehicles Phase 3 (Continued): Direct Engagement and Defending KeyAreas 2. Anti-Tank Warfare * Chinese forces will rely heavily on tanks and mechanized units to push through the city. Taiwan's defenders must prioritize disabling these vehicles to halt their advance and prevent them from reaching key areas of Taipei. * Weaponry and Tactics: * Use Javelin and NLAW anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to target Chinese tanks from concealed positions. These top-attack weapons are especially effective against modern Chinese tanks like the Type 99, which have relatively weak top armor. RPG-7s and M72 LAW rockets should be positioned on higher floors or rooftops of buildings to allow defenders to fire down onto tanks. Attack tanks from angles where their main guns cannot elevate (e.g., upper floors of high- rise buildings). Focus on blinding the tanks by targeting vision blocks and optics with sniper rifles orrockets. Disabling a tank's ability to see can render it ineffective in combat. Use hit-and-run tactics: Strike the first and last vehicle in a convoy to trap the entire column, then ambush the vehicles with RPGs and small arms from concealed positions. Example: Set up ambushes in narrow streets like those in the Wanhua District, where tanks and armored vehicles cannot maneuver easily. Use the dense infrastructure to funnel enemy vehicles into kill zones, attacking them fromrooftops, windows, and underground tunnels. 3. Sniper and Machine Gun Nests ¢ Create sniper nests using M40 or SR-25 sniper rifles to target Chinese officers, heavy weapons teams, and other high-value targets. Position these snipers in high-rise buildings or elevated positions where they have clear lines of sight down long streets or toward key avenues of approach. ¢ Use M240 or M249 machine guns to set up interlocking fieldsof fire. These weapons should be placed in hardened positions that cover the main avenues of approach. Machine guns should cover ambush points or be used to protect obstacles and barriers. Example: Establish machine gun nests along Zhongshan North Road, using the dense urban environment to create overlapping fields of fire. Make use of intersections where Chinese infantry are likely to gather or where they may attempt to breach roadblocks. 4. Defending Key Infrastructure¢ Protect critical infrastructure like government buildings, communication centers, and supply depots. These sites should be fortified as much as possible to withstand artillery and direct assault. * Defend the Port of Taipei and key bridges over the Tamsui River to prevent Chinese forces from gaining control of essential supply routes. Sabotage or destroy infrastructure when necessary to prevent its capture if defenses cannot hold. ¢ Example: Pre-place explosives onkey bridges like the Dazhi Bridge and Chung Cheng Bridge to deny the Chinese the ability to move reinforcements across the river into the heart of the city. Phase 4: Guerrilla Warfare and Continued Attrition Even if Chinese forces manage to breach Taiwan's primary defenses and enter Taipei, the battle is far from over. At this point, the defense will shift from a conventional defense to a protracted guerrilla warfare campaign. 1. Continuous Ambushes andSabotage « As enemy forces push deeper into the city, Taiwan's defenders should continue harassing them with ambushes, IEDs, and sniper fire. Use the underground infrastructure to move fighters undetected and launch surprise attacks at critical choke points. + IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices): Lay IEDs in key streets and intersections where Chinese troops are likely to gather or pass through. Use homemade explosives to slow their movement and cause confusionamong their ranks. Example: Use the underground tunnels of the Taipei Metro to plant IEDs along major roadways like Xinyi Road or Keelung Road. When Chinese columns are slowed by rubble or barricades, detonate the IEDs to strike at the heart of their convoys. 2. Sniper Tactics and Hit-and-Run Sniper teams should continually reposition, using mouseholes (holes between buildings) and underground tunnels to avoid detection. Aim to target officersand critical personnel like medics or engineers. ¢ Use hit-and-run tactics with AK-47s, MP5s, and grenades. Engage Chinese forces at close range, then withdraw before enemy reinforcements can respond. This forces the invaders to spread out their forces, weakening their concentrated attacks. Example: Launch hit-and-run raids in the densely packed Ximending District, using the narrow alleyways to confuse and isolate Chinese units. Engage them with small armsfire from close range and then retreat through pre-dug tunnels or mouseholes. 3. Control the Underground * Control of the underground tunnels beneath Taipei will be crucial for Taiwan's forces. Use these tunnels to move freely throughout the city, cache supplies, and launch ambushes from unexpected locations. « Example: Use the Taipei Metro as a hidden route for moving troops and supplies while Chinese forces focus on the streetsabove. Establish hidden underground bunkers in metro stations to use as fallback positions or command centers. Critical Equipment and Weaponry To effectively defend Taipei, Taiwan must make strategic use of advanced weaponry and available urban infrastructure. Here are some specific weapons and equipment crucial for the defense: « Small Arms: « M4 Carbine: The standard issue rifle for Taiwan's forces. Ideal forclose-quarters combat in urban environments. AK-47: Rugged and reliable, ideal for guerrilla fighters or irregular units. MP5 Submachine Gun: Perfect for tight spaces and close engagements, especially in buildings. Glock 17: A reliable sidearm for soldiers in close combat or when reloading larger weapons is impractical. Anti-Tank Weapons:* Javelin ATGM: The top choice for eliminating Chinese armor, particularly from elevated positions or ambush sites. Its top- attack feature is especially lethal against tanks. + NLAW (Next-Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon): A portable, shoulder-fired system that allows defenders to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles at close range. * RPG-7: Ideal for ambushing Chinese tanks and APCs in confined streets, particularly inhit-and-run attacks. Sniper Rifles and Machine Guns: M40 Sniper Rifle: Effective for long-range engagements, allowing defenders to eliminate key enemy personnel. SR-25 Rifle: A semi-automatic sniper system useful for high- volume, long-range engagements. M240 Machine Gun: Provides heavy firepower in defensive positions, particularly effective when covering choke points.M249 Light Machine Gun: Lightweight and mobile, it can be used by small teams to provide suppressive fire during engagements. Explosives and IEDs: Claymore Mines: Can be used to cover key defensive positions, creating lethal ambush points for advancing Chinese infantry. IEDs: Homemade explosives placed in high-traffic areas can slow the enemy's advance and cause confusion.Molotov Cocktails: Cheap, effective weapons for disabling light vehicles or attacking infantry. Aerial Defense: Stinger Missiles: Shoulder-fired missiles capable of shooting down low-flying aircraft and helicopters. Small Drones: Useful for reconnaissance or even dropping small explosives on enemy positions. Drones can provide situational awareness and prevent surprise attacks from theChinese. Conclusion: Defending Taipei and Taiwan's Urban Centers The defense of Taiwan's urban environments, particularly Taipei, against a potential Chinese invasion requires a comprehensive and multi- layered strategy. The dense urban terrain offers defenders significant advantages, provided they utilize it effectively. Taiwan's defense must focus on turning its cities into fortresses, with pre-positioned supplies, fortified buildings, and intricate networks of underground tunnels for movement and surpriseattacks. By leveraging advanced weaponry like Javelins, NLAWs, and M240 machine guns, while employing guerrilla tactics such as ambushes, hit-and-run strikes, and the control of underground infrastructure, Taiwan can make a Chinese invasion of its urban centers incredibly costly. Every building, street, and tunnel can be used to slow down and weaken the invading forces, buying Taiwan valuable time and inflicting heavy casualties on the attacker. In urban warfare, the defender oftenholds the advantage. With proper preparation and the will to fight, Taiwan can effectively defend its cities, slow down the Chinese advance, and protect its sovereignty.