Taiwan army to bolster asymmetric warfare capability with new tech.

In line with the Executive Yuan’s latest policy report on the country’s state of military preparedness, the government is requesting budgetary approval from the Legislative Yuan for new military hardware, the Taiwan News reports.

Chung Shyang II UAV (Picture source: Wikimedia)

To bolster the defensive capabilities of the military, the government is requesting new domestically produced armored personnel carriers, next-generation missile-equipped patrol ships, and an array of unmanned attack vehicles, along with other advanced equipment to be procured over the upcoming year. The new equipment will be needed to maintain an edge in the asymmetrical style of combat that Taiwan will need to rely on in any potential conflict with a much larger and better equipped enemy force.

The Ministry of National Defense is pursuing a strategy of “Maintaining a defined perimeter, via deflection and deterrence”. This means an increased focus upon repulsing attacks along the country’s shoreline, and integrating defensive technologies with local geography to maximize deterrence capabilities, the Taiwan News comments.

A spokesperson for the military said that the primary unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be based on a drone designed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). This year, engineers will begin testing various missile platforms to be compatible with the large size drone, LTN reports.

In addition to the two Perry-class Frigates purchased from the U.S., which have recently been equipped with Mk.13 missile platforms, the Ministry of National Defense is also exploring new ballistic technologies to target enemy aircraft and submarines, according to the report.

The Executive Yuan has also called for increased cooperation and communication between academic institutes and the manufacturing sector to better cultivate talent and streamline research and design of defense technologies, LTN reports.

In January, the acting Director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), Yisuo Tzeng, published a report calling for the Ministry of National Defense to enhance research and development of AI applications, especially unmanned vehicles for the purpose of asymmetric warfare.

As finally reported by the Taiwan News, In late January, President Tsai also reportedly ordered rapid mass production of the domestically designed Tiangong III and Hsiung Feng III missiles to enhance the military's stockpiles.