National Defense. ROC (Taiwan) Yearbook 2011 Ch07 national defense

Keelung-class destroyers field the
ROC Navy’s most advanced
surface-to-air missiles, which have a
range of up to 167 km. (Courtesy of the
Military News Agency)

07 四校OK (spelling and indexed) 2.indd 90 2011/10/18 12:32:38 AM

7 National Defense
At a Glance
• Procuring and developing modern weaponry
• Building an all-volunteer force
• Bolstering disaster response measures

F
or the past six decades, the Republic of China has faced a se-
rious military threat from mainland China. Although tensions
have eased and cross-strait relations have improved since
President Ma Ying-jeou came into office in May 2008, the
mainland has deployed over 1,300 missiles against Taiwan and regular-
ly carries out exercises simulating an attack on the island. The ROC
Armed Forces, therefore, maintain the level of preparedness necessary
to defend against any would-be invader.

The military is undergoing a transformation into an all-volunteer
force, a process that will be completed by 2014. Moreover, it has been
seeking to upgrade its fighting capabilities through procurement of
advanced weaponry.

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7 National Defense
Strategic Location The PLA has established a cyber
and electronic warfare command which
Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan develops computer viruses to attack com-
is situated between Japan and the Philip- puter systems and networks. The PLA Air
pines and separated from the coast of Force has deployed roughly 700 fight-
mainland China by the Taiwan Strait (see ers within 600 nautical miles of Taiwan.
maps in the opening pages of the Year- Some are capable of aerial refueling,
book). Peace across the strait is critical to and can support combat operations in
stability in East Asia. The strait is one of the South China Sea and against Taiwan.
the world’s busiest transportation arteries, Ships of the PLA Navy have modern air
with hundreds of commercial vessels ply- defense capabilities, can carry out strikes
ing its waters every day, while hundreds against surface and subsurface targets,
of civilian aircraft fly through Taiwan’s partially block Taiwan’s sea lines of com-
airspace. Meanwhile, it is believed that munication, and deter foreign navies.
in its vicinity lie commercially significant
subsea oil and gas deposits.
Defense Posture
Military Threat The ROC maintains Armed Forces
strictly as a credible deterrent, to defend
As discussed in Chapters 3 and 6 its free and democratic society from ex-
(“History” and “Cross-strait Relations”), ternal aggression and to promote peace
sovereignty disputes between the two and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.
sides of the Taiwan Strait have persisted At the same time, the ROC is working
since 1949, when the government of the to build a sound foundation for peace by
Republic of China relocated from Nan- promoting dialogue and normalization
jing in mainland China to Taipei 臺北 in of economic and cultural relations with
Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party
the mainland as well as free movement
established its government in Beijing.
of people across the Taiwan Strait. It has
Despite a recent easing of tensions
between Taiwan and mainland China
thanks to cross-strait talks on economic
and other types of cooperation since the
current administration took office in May
2008, Beijing continues to pose a major
military threat to national security.
In just the last decade, the mainland
has greatly enhanced its warfighting ca-
pabilities. With 40 satellites in orbit, it
can conduct visual and electronic recon-
naissance, communications, navigation,
meteorological monitoring and technical
experiments. The People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) Second Artillery Corps over-
sees an arsenal of short-, medium- and
long-range ballistic and cruise missiles. At
present, roughly 1,300 short-range mis-
siles have been deployed against Taiwan.

92


also voiced support for regional security
cooperation and the establishment of con-
fidence-building measures between Taipei
and Beijing.
The ROC government is committed to
upgrading the nation’s defense capabili-
ties in a timely manner by making essen-
tial purchases of military hardware such
as aircraft, naval craft, missile systems
and C4ISR (command, control, commu-
nications, computer, intelligence, surveil-
lance and reconnaissance) equipment.
At the same time, it strives to enhance
the nation’s self-reliance by boosting
defense-related R&D and manufacturing.
International security cooperation is
also an important aspect of ROC defense
policy. Forms of collaboration include
technical exchanges, sharing of intel-
ligence, training of foreign personnel in
Taiwan and training of ROC military and
defense-related civilian personnel in other Armed Forces buildup program 中華民國五
countries. Further, ROC financial authori- 年兵力整建 and an administrative report 施
ties cooperate with organizations that 政計畫報告 which it submits, together with
combat money-laundering to deny terror- its budget plan, to the Legislative Yuan
ist groups access to funding. for review. The MND also publishes the
Employing technological advances National Defense Report 國防報告書 bien-
and new strategies for maximizing defense nially to inform the public of the govern-
capabilities, the ROC Armed Forces are ment’s defense policies. In accordance
becoming an all-volunteer organization. In with the Act, the MND also submits a
order to attract and retain the highly com- Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) 四年
petent, highly motivated people needed, 期國防總檢討 to the Legislature within 10
pay raises and enhanced benefits for ca- months of the start of each presidential
reer soldiers are being instituted. term. The latest biennial report and quad
In fiscal year 2010, the defense budget rennial review were published, respec-
was over US$9.40 billion, or 17.34 per- tively, in August 2011 and March 2009.
cent of the general budget and, taking into
account exchange-rate fluctuations, in-
creased to about US$9.98 billion in 2011. Command Structure
As stipulated by the ROC Constitution
Defense Reports and the National Defense Act, the presi-
dent is commander-in-chief of the Armed
As stipulated in the National Defense Forces, empowered to give direct orders
Act 國防法, the Ministry of National De- to the minister of national defense. The
fense (MND) annually publishes a report defense minister, in turn, transmits orders
on mainland China’s military forces 中共 to the Chief of the General Staff 參謀總長
軍力報告書, a report on the five-year ROC for execution.

93


7 National Defense
The president also serves as chairman
of the National Security Council (NSC)
Additional units of the Armed Forces
that play combat roles include the Missile
國家安全會議. The NSC is mandated to Command 飛彈指揮部 and the Information
make recommendations for the presi- and Electronic Warfare Command 資電作
dent’s reference in decision-making on 戰指揮部 of the General Staff Headquar-
matters critical to the national interest. ters 國防部參謀本部. The former monitors
NSC members include the vice president, Taiwan’s territorial waters and airspace
the premier, the heads of key ministries, in times of peace and coordinates missile
the chief of the General Staff, the NSC defense in times of war. The latter pre-
secretary-general, and the director-general vents cyber attacks on military computer
of the National Security Bureau 國家安全 systems and safeguards the security and
局 under the NSC. effectiveness of military command and
With respect to most peacetime ad- control systems.
ministrative matters, the MND makes Other military organizations play es-
recommendations to the Executive Yuan sential support roles:
Council (Cabinet) headed by the premier, •• The Combined Logistics Command 聯
which finalizes decisions and supervises 合後勤司令部 provides supply, equipment
their implementation. The Legislature is maintenance and transport ser ices to
v
empowered to ask MND officials to ap- all branches of the Armed Forces.
pear before its committees and plenary •• The Reserve Command 後備司令部 con-
sessions. Defense policy may be influ- ducts basic training of new recruits and
enced by the Legislature through exer- emergency mobilization exercises. Af-
cise of its power to modify the Cabinet’s ter being discharged from active duty,
budget proposals. all conscripts become reservists and are
required to periodically report to their
Armed Forces
local reserve units. At present, reserv-
ists total around 2.84 million.
With bases at locations around Taiwan •• The Military Police Command 憲兵司
and on smaller islands, the Army safe- 令部 enforces military rules and regula-
guards areas of strategic importance. It tions; provides security for the president,
also works to enhance the effectiveness of vice president and candidates for the
special and joint operations and to create two offices during election campaigns;
a more agile land-based defense force. provides support for military operations;
The Navy conducts maritime patrols to conducts special security and anti-terror
maintain security in the ROC’s territorial operations; and, when necessary, coop-
waters. It coordinates with the Army and erates with civilian police.
the Air Force to deter maritime blockades As reported in the 2009 QDR, the
or attacks and secure Taiwan’s primary foregoing three commands and their func-
sea lanes. Rapid deployment and standoff tions will be integrated into the Army, the
strike capabilities are among its focuses Air Force and the Navy by 2014.
of development. The Air Force’s prime And, while the Armed Forces’ primary
mission is to safeguard the nation’s air- mission is to protect the nation from ex-
space. It continues to strengthen its capa- ternal aggression, another role given them
bilities to provide early warning, prevent in recent amendments to the Disaster Pre-
enemy attacks and, should attacks occur, vention and Protection Act 災害防救法 is to
execute counterstrikes. perform rapid-response rescue and relief

94


operations in times of natural disaster (see and institutions have a high degree of
box “Rescue and Relief Work”). technological sophistication in the areas
of aviation, missilery, electronics and
materials technologies.
Weapon System Upgrades The MND’s Chung-shan Institute
The Armed Forces’ arms procurement of Science and Technology 中山科學研
programs focus mainly on boosting their 究院, Taiwan’s leading institution for
anti-blockade capabilities and deploy- defense R&D, engages in the develop-
ment flexibility. In October 2008, the U.S. ment, management and integration of
government approved US$6.43 billion advanced weapon systems. Among those
worth of weapons sales to Taiwan. The that have been deployed are Sky Bow I
package includes AH-64D Apache Long- and II surface-to-air missiles, Sky Sword
bow attack helicopters, Patriot Advanced I and II air-to-air missiles, Hsiung Feng
Capability (PAC-3) missiles, Harpoon 雄風 I, II and III anti-ship missiles, the
Block II submarine-launched anti-ship Thunderbolt-2000 multiple rocket launch-
missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles and er, and the Worker Bees VI multiple rock-
system upgrades for E-2 Hawkeye early et launcher. Its unmanned aerial vehicles
warning aircraft. saw their first service in 2011.
In January 2010, the United States ap- Meanwhile, the MND Arsenal Readi-
proved an additional arms package valued ness Development Center 兵工整備發展中心
at approximately US$6.4 billion, includ- has developed the agile, 8-wheel “Clouded
ing UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, Leopard” 雲豹裝甲車 armored vehicle. The
AN/MPQ-65 radar sets, Osprey-class center has also produced three models of
mine hunting ships, Harpoon Block II the CM-11 “Brave Tiger” tank 勇虎戰車, a
telemetry missiles, and multifunctional modified version of the U.S. M48 “Patton”
information distribution systems. tank, and the CM-21 armored personnel
In August 2010, three commercial carrier based on the U.S. M113. All of
arms sales related to Taiwan’s air defense these vehicles are currently in service.
radar system and upgrades of existing The state-run Aerospace Industrial
radars on Taiwan’s Ching-kuo Indigenous Development Corp. (AIDC) 漢翔航空工
Defense Fighter (IDF) 經國號戰機 were 業股份有限公司 is internationally recog-
approved by the U.S. government. Taiwan nized as a top-quality manufacturer and
continues to urge the United States to ex- highly regarded for its R&D in the field
pedite the sale of F-16 C/D fighter jets to of aviation. It designed and produced, for
bolster the island’s defense. example, the Ching-kuo IDF, which has
been a mainstay of the ROC Air Force
Defense Industry
since the late 1990s. Twin-seat, upgraded
models entered service in the 2000s.
Defense procurement is conducted Other aircraft produced include the XA-3
with the development of the domestic de- attack fighter jet, AT-3 Advanced Jet
fense industry in mind. The National De- Trainer and T-CH-1 Basic Trainer. Aside
fense Act mandates that priority be given from cooperating with Boeing and Airbus
to acquisition of domestically manufac- to produce commercial planes, the AIDC
tured equipment. It further requires that, has worked with Northrop Grumman
insofar as possible, procurements from Corp. to produce F-5E/F Tiger II fighters
abroad be tied to technology transfers. and with Bell Helicopter Textron Co. on
Domestic defense-related enterprises UH-1H helicopters.

95


7 National Defense
Personnel and complete a term of military service at the
earliest available opportunity between
Conditions of Service January 1 of the year immediately fol-
There are two categories of national lowing the year of their 18th birthday and
defense personnel: civilian and military. December 31 of the year of their 36th
Civilian personnel are recruited through birthday. High school, vocational high
national examinations and a more flexible school and university students can defer
open selection process, while military military service until after graduation.
personnel are inducted through conscrip- With increasing numbers of profes-
tion and voluntary enlistment. sional personnel in Taiwan’s regular
Over the years, measures have been forces, the period of compulsory military
taken to create a more streamlined, more service was cut from 14 to 12 months in
effective fighting force consisting of an January 2008.
increasingly higher proportion of career
professionals. The total number of per- Exemptions and
sonnel in the Armed Forces has been Alternative Service
slimmed down to 275,000. Currently over Individuals in poor health are exempt
50 percent of the nation’s soldiers are ca- from military service. Draftees with
reer military personnel. heavy family responsibilities or who
According to the 2009 QDR, the are outstanding athletes may apply for a
MND plans to further reduce personnel shortened service period of two months
to 215,000 by 2014. It is anticipated that or less. All draftees are eligible to apply
the proportion of volunteers will increase for alternative service positions in lieu
by 10 percentage points annually between of military service, as provided for in the
now and that year, thereby largely com- Enforcement Statute for Substitute Serv
pleting the transition to an all-volunteer ices 替代役實施條例 of 2000. Following
force. When the process is complete, a short period of basic military training,
male citizens will still be required to re- those admitted to the program are placed
ceive four months’ basic military training according to their interests and skills.
and become reservists. Alternative service falls into two cat-
At present, all male ROC citizens of egories: general and R&D. Draftees who
sound body and mind are obligated to opt for general alternative service can

An All-volunteer Force
The transition from a mixed volunteer-conscript system to an all-volunteer military is
taking place in three stages:
The first stage (May 20, 2008 to June 30, 2009) involved overall planning for the MND
restructuring; revising related legislation; and drawing up such measures as those concern-
ing remuneration, training, barracks construction and reservist mobilization.
The second stage (July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010) was geared toward enacting
complementary laws and regulations based on the progress achieved in the first phase. Re-
lated organizational infrastructure was to be ready by the period’s end, with plans for remu-
neration and benefits implemented ahead of schedule if practicable.
During the third stage (January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014), all related objectives
are to be accomplished, resulting in an all-volunteer force.

96


serve in a wide variety of positions, in- school-level academies become noncom-
cluding security guard, firefighter, social missioned officers.
worker, medical personnel, agricultural Thereafter, graduates of either level
advisor or worker, teacher, surveyor and receive further, specialized training in ar-
overseas humanitarian project worker. eas such as infantry tactics and command,
Draftees performing R&D alternative operation or maintenance of naval craft
service, who must have at least a master’s or aircraft, use of weapon systems, civil
degree, work for three years at MND- engineering, communications or aspects
approved government institutions, public of base management.
or private research centers, or universities. Throughout their careers, ROC pro-
fessional soldiers are provided with
Military Education
abundant opportunities—and, in some
instances, are even required—to periodi-
The MND provides three general cally undergo supplementary in-service
categories of education to prospective education and training to hone their skills
professional soldiers and those in active and leadership capabilities.
service: pre-service education at MND- Those who aspire to higher levels of
operated college- and high school-level responsibility must successfully complete
military academies; in-service education; advanced levels of education. Commis-
and advanced education. sioned officers may pursue master’s and
Students who receive undergraduate doctoral programs at either military or
degrees from college-level academies civilian institutes of higher learning. Can-
are on track to become commissioned didates for the ranks of colonel or major
officers, while those who wish to begin general (and their naval equivalents) must
active service after graduating from high complete a special course of studies at

The ROC Military
Academy, founded
by Sun Yat-sen,
has for decades
trained officers who
have served as the
backbone of the
ROC military.
(Courtesy of the ROC
Military Academy)

97


7 National Defense

Military personnel
clean up a flooded
street in Pingtung
County’s Linbian
Township following
the devastating
Typhoon Morakot of
2009. (Huang Fu-ren)

National Defense University 國防大學 that security. These broadly include prevent-
focuses on advanced leadership, analyti- ing terrorist attacks; gathering and sharing
cal and management skills. Noncom- intelligence with friendly nations; manag-
missioned officers and career soldiers of ing the country’s borders; protecting criti-
lower rank are similarly encouraged to cal infrastructure; maintaining operations
pursue studies leading to higher degrees. of essential public- and private-sector
functions in times of crisis; safeguarding
Internet security; and coordinating disas-
Homeland Security ter response and management.
In addition to combat preparedness, The Wan An Exercises 萬安演習, a
the ROC government attaches great im- series of civil defense drills, are held an-
portance to other aspects of homeland nually to buttress the emergency response

Rescue and Relief Work
After Typhoon Morakot 莫拉克颱風 ravaged Taiwan in August 2009, laws were amended
to make disaster prevention and rescue a core mission of the Armed Forces. On September
19, 2010, Typhoon Fanapi 凡那比颱風 pounded eastern and southern Taiwan with strong
winds and heavy rainfall, causing flooding and significant agricultural losses in Hualien 花蓮,
Kaohsiung and Pingtung 屏東. In one day alone, Qiaotou District 橋頭區 of Kaohsiung City
received as much as 850 millimeters of rain. To help with the post-storm recovery, between
September 19 and October 1, the MND conducted 53,821 personnel sorties, involving 2,979
ground vehicle, 77 boat and 22 aircraft missions, evacuating 7,750 residents and removing
12,055 tonnes of debris.
A month later, on October 24, Typhoon Megi 梅姬颱風 hit northeastern Taiwan heavily,
killing 38 people. Yilan 宜蘭 County was the hardest hit, with massive landslides trapping
some 400 passengers in 32 vehicles. The MND arranged for 45,502 personnel sorties, in-
cluding 832 ground vehicle, 26 boat and 165 aircraft rescue missions.

98


capability of local governments and the Security 行政院國土安全辦公室 in 2007. Ad-
military for such contingencies as fires, ditionally, after the devastation wreaked
terrorist attacks and nuclear accidents. by Typhoon Morakot in August 2009,
The Executive Yuan began convening the Executive Yuan set up the Office of
joint policy conferences in 2007 to inte- Disaster Management 行政院災害防救辦公
grate domestic disaster prevention and 室 in 2010, with which the Armed Forces
relief mechanisms, communicable disease closely cooperate.
control, counterterrorism operations and Since 2006, the Coast Guard Adminis-
other emergency response systems. It also tration 行政院海岸巡防署 has implemented
set up the Counterterrorism Office 行政院 the An Hai Project 安海專案 to crack down
反恐怖行動管控辦公室 in 2004, which was on smuggling of goods and trafficking of
reorganized as the Office of Homeland arms, drugs and persons.

• Ministry of National Defense: http://www.mnd.gov.tw
Related • National Defense Report: http://www.mnd.gov.tw/2011mndreport/
Websites • National Security Bureau: http://www.nsb.gov.tw
• Aerospace Industrial Development Corp.: http://www.aidc.com.tw
• Coast Guard Administration: http://www.cga.gov.tw

99


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