The military has acquired the ability to develop simulators for a variety of weapon systems bought mainly from abroad, but the simulators have yet to gain the trust of military leaders, who generally prefer products purchased from foreign countries, people associated with the simulators development said.
The military-run Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) has developed several different types of simulators for the armed services, and aspires to do more work in the area.
Simulators for the domestically-built IDF plane and US-designed F-5E fighter, which have been in use for several years and receive favorable response from users in the air force.
The CSIST just demonstrated its newest product of the category -- simulators for the M60-A3 tank -- during the four-day Taipei Aerospace Technology Exhibition (TATE) that ended yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center.
The simulators for the US-made M60A3 tank were the first of the kind that the CSIST developed for the army.
They made their public debut at TATE, although they have been in use by the army's armor school for some time for training.
A senior CSIST official who was involved in the development of the M60A3 simulators, said the institute has the ability to develop simulators for more weapon systems, but that it has not earned the trust of military leaders.
"Our simulators are much cheaper than those bought from abroad, without compromising their quality. They are easier to maintain and operate. Their operation panels and manuals are all in Chinese, which makes a huge difference for local users," the official said.
"The M60A3 simulators cost around NT$47 million each. If the army bought similar equipment from abroad, it would have to spend several times that amount," he said.
"Although the M60A3 tank will reach its retirement age in the coming years, the simulators we developed for it could be converted to serve newer tank models, such as the M1A2," he said.
The official expressed disappointment at military leaders' lack of confidence in the CSIST for large-scale projects.
The contract to develop simulators for the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, for instance, was awarded to a foreign company at the cost of NT$1 billion.
"The project would not cost so much money if it were granted to us. It is a matter of self-confidence," the CSIST official said.
The CSIST is not the only branch of the military that has acquired the ability to develop defense-related products equal to international standards. The army has also entered the field.
The army showcased a computer training program at the TATE that it developed on its own for use with a tactical communications systems purchased from the US.
The training program was the work of the Army Communication Electronics Information School. It was designed for the Improved Mobile Subscriber System, which the US military used to great effect during the 1991 Gulf War.
RSS