![]() "Each service is competing for its own priorities, and there is no one to adjudicate this. "As of now, all the programs are being decided individually by each service in terms of what they perceive to be the threat and what they need to counter the threat," he said. Kitsch Liao, a military and cyber affairs consultant for Doublethink Lab, a Taiwan-based civil society group, said Taipei lacked a strategic planning process to help determine the types of weapons needed to counter the urgent threats facing the island. ![]() ![]() Taiwan seeks more asymmetric capabilities And while China is spending on advanced equipment, including stealth fighters and aircraft carriers, Taiwan is trying to counter by putting more effort into weapons such as missiles that can strike far into its giant neighbor's territory. Tsai has made modernizing the armed forces a priority. The overall defense budget proposed by President Tsai Ing-wen's Cabinet sets a 13.9% year-on-year increase, to a record $19.41 billion (€20.25 billion). In August, Taiwanese officials proposed a huge increase in defense spending for 2023 that includes funds to procure new fighter jets, as well as to support the development of domestic-built warships, improve equipment and weaponry for troops, boost the territory's reserve service and establish asymmetrical warfare strategies. Lee says Taiwan needs to ensure that troops can effectively fight in asymmetric warfare "If Taiwan's defense capability is to be truly changed, a strategic paradigm shift must be made, and the change must start from Taiwan's defense strategies, as they guide the operational concept, the structure of Taiwan's military forces, the procurement of weapons, training as well as criteria development," Lee said. Symmetrical warfare involves matching the enemy's combat capabilities with the use of larger weapons, like fighter aircraft, long-range missile systems and naval vessels. The use of shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons by Ukrainian forces against the Russian military is a recent example. Nevertheless, Lee expressed concerns about the combat readiness of Taiwanese troops.Īccording to him, while the government has pledged to build up Taiwan's asymmetric combat capabilities, the island's defense policies still put a lot of emphasis on symmetrical defense.Īsymmetric combat capabilities include using smaller or nonconventional weapons systems strategically deployed against a much larger enemy. "Since they are busy preparing for the 20th Party Congress and dealing with other domestic issues, China is not quite ready for a full-scale war against Taiwan yet," Lee said. Though the likelihood of an all-out war remains low in the short term, Lee said Taiwan shouldn't rule out the possibility of any miscalculation amid the rising frequency of China's gray-zone tactics. Since the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, paid a high-profile visit to Taiwan in August, China has repeatedly dispatched military aircraft and naval vessels across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial demarcation between China and Taiwan that Beijing does not recognize. As a result, Taiwan should respond cautiously." "Since China has established a new normal, it's unlikely for them to return to the practice of occasionally crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait. "The goal is to not lose your position and not lose your dignity," he said. Tensions have been running high near Taiwan since last month, as China staged a series of escalatory military exercises around the island, leading many analysts to conclude that Beijing will continue to apply strategic pressure on the region.Īdmiral Lee Hsi-ming, Taiwan's former defense chief, told DW that Taipei should come up with new rules of engagement given the current situation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |