Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has just capped a biennial review of its overall defense strategy with a report made public this week, providing a glimpse of how the island plans to fend off mainland China’s saber-rattling or, if it transpires, actual aggression.
Meanwhile, the ministry has said it will discontinue media briefings on Chinese warplanes’ intrusions into Taiwan’s air defense zone, provided that no emergencies occur, now that such flyovers by the PLA Air Force have in effect become a “new normal.”
The mainland, for its part, gibed that the decision only confirmed Taiwan’s “insecurity and inability.”
Chinese pilots had circled Taiwan in 15 such air incursions and flown past the Miyako Strait seven times this year as of December 11, and in one unprecedented drill, Chinese H-6K bombers were spotted above the high seas close to the Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan, which is a vital waterway linking the South China Sea and western Pacific.
The Taiwanese military is said to be developing nimble assault ships resembling fishing boats or yachts capable of firing one missile each time against invading Chinese amphibious assault vessels. These miniaturized warships would sail from fishing ports, steered by just two or three marines wearing civilian clothing, according to United Daily News.
However, Chief of General Staff Lee Hsi-ming, who first conceived the unconventional tactic, was soon greeted with ridicule as netizens and observers questioned its feasibility, as these “sampan” warships would not be fitted with any defensive armaments, or even radar to guide them close to an enemy fleet.
What seems more plausible is Taiwan’s missile shield, underpinned by the Hsiung Feng IIE, the island’s indigenous tactical surface-to-surface cruise missiles modeled on the US Tomahawk series with a range of 600 kilometers, able to hit targets on the mainland in counterattacks, as well as a new variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, versatile, infrared-homing-guided air-to-air missiles procured from the United States.
Still, Taiwan Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan is particularly worried about a People’s Liberation Army decapitation offensive, which would target runways and hangars of key airbases rather than the island’s command and control facilities or principal officials.
As noted in the latest defense white paper, the first such document since Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in as president, the Taiwanese military will seek to boost its sea and air interception and resistance capabilities to hinder the PLA’s advancement in coastal waters and onshore, so as to win time for reinforcement from allies such as the US and Japan as well as international mediation.
The aim is to help Beijing realize it has to think twice before attempting to “recapture” the island, a defense official told Central News Agency.
I’m surprised
I see the dam which took 40 years to build but collapsed within hours before inauguration does not intimidate you. It sures does scare the hell out of Nepal.
Why not remore controlled drone boats or even kamikaze boats? What if the
Chinese ability to take out Am. satellites push Am. ships far out to sea and help is suspect?
Taiwan could just be another Hongkong and allowed to self-govern. China’s fast military advancement cannot be matched by Taiwan. The only real defense for Taiwan is its strategic importance to the United States. It is the gateway of China to the Pacific Ocean. It will be more difficult for the US to monitor all Chinese ships and submarines if they were based on Taiwan instead of within the first island chain.
If China is to hit you, Taiwan, you will be finish even before you realize it. They don’t have to send in the army. Don’t keep on believing in false hope that somehow some powers will come to your rescue. What China is doing now is to squeeze you slowly like what Inland Revenue Services does best, by the balls. The effect is already very telling. Use of force by China is a last resort. Better find a way out while there is time and China is prepared to be benevolent.
make drone mines
Taiwan has begun the transition to an all-volunteer military as well as focusing on the navy and airforce’s ablility to stop a PLA ivasion before it gets to Taiwan. (Sorry Jinmen, Mazu and probably Penghu; you’re hors de combat.)
As many of you are no doubt aware, navies and air forces are, by their very nature, highly technical and, as a consequence, require an ability to retain highly-trained technical specialists. This, in turn, means the military put in place policies to achieve this. Curently, Taiwan doesn’t have these kinds of policies in place. (The military is also quite top-heavy with many generals and colonels doing very little.) It also means making military service attractive in order to attract skilled people or suitable people to train.
Unfortunately, here we find two problems. One is the dismal state of Taiwan’s education system where students are subject to a brutal, test-oriented regime. The other is that many Taiwanese youth simply do not want anything to do with the military. They are full of bluster and bravado about ‘Indeperndant Taiwan’, but are unwilling to do anything about protecting her.
The future for Taiwan’s armed forces does not look too bright unless something is done, and done immediately, to rectify these problems; if, indded this is at all possible. In fact, it may be too late.
Human nature says China can’t be be benevolent in the long run. If the people of Taiwan enjoy freedoms that people on the the mainland do not – the obvious and predictable behavior will be people asking why do they get to be special and NOT US? As in Hong Kong where China determines who gets to run in elections, freedom will become an illusion when push comes to shove.
US is trouble maker around the world
Without a color revolution, the Xi regime cannot be toppled to achieve the Tsai dream.
It’s best they developed nukes
if china doesnt honor the UN sanction imposed on NOKOR its time for the US to recognize taiwan with full diplomatic ties let those chinese suffer the consequences. and also to russia who are good in smuggling oils to NOKOR then time also to arm ukraine to check this morons a dose of there medicines any there is no sanctions if the US would be friendlier to taiwan and ukraine.
this is a trouble between brothers where the bigger one bullies the other without america and perhaps russia in the future .. the chinese will be your masters..
China tactics will be similar to USA in WW2 Pacific war.Gain air and sea superiority.After that pummelled the island to kingdom come.Then only infantry attacks will come
The Chinese have a long way to go with aircraft carriers. The US has experience dating back to the Battle of Midway in 1942. Experience, training, strategy and tactics will trump pure technologg in carrier warfare.
china cant afford to loose tens of thousands chinese death which way it is both are chinese anyway