For a long time, the view that military secrets must not be leaked has meant that the rest of the nation has been unaware of what is going on inside the military, both when it comes to military and personnel affairs.
However, with the end of the era of strongman politics, the military has now finally shed its opaque and secretive system and many absurd procurement irregularities have been uncovered one by one.
The eight-wheeled armored Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), better known as the Clouded Leopard, is to be used for the evacuation of the president in an emergency situation. The bidding process for these vehicles, each of which costs NT$90 million (US$2.88 million) to produce, was announced three years ago and deliveries of the first finished units began in June 2013.
As delivery began, a series of problems were successively exposed: The bid of the firm awarded the contract to deliver the low-grade S1 and S2 steering columns, which each cost NT$11,000, set the price at NT$280,000.
MADE IN CHINA
In addition, due to oil leaks and fractured jumpers and brake calipers, vehicles have to be sent off for repairs every other day, and even more outrageously, the vehicle’s power transmission system — which was imported from China — was defective and prone to overheating.
It is a joke to think that the president’s emergency response team is dependent on a vehicle powered by Chinese products.
As early as in January, the 5,000 tank treads purchased by the military were reported to fall off easily, due to poor quality.
The M60A3 main battle tank and the CM21, CM22 and CM23 armored fighting vehicles are all affected by these faulty parts. In December 2013, irregularities occurred in relation to CM21 armored fighting vehicle gearboxes, because suppliers refurbished secondhand parts and then passed them off as newly delivered products meeting US import standards.
With military procurement like this, does Taiwan still need enemies?
There is no denying that retired air force general Hsia Ying-chou (夏瀛洲) went drinking with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals during a visit to China a few years back and was quoted in the Chinese media as saying that the Republic of China Army and the PLA are both “Chinese armies.”
This was a heavy blow to the military in a situation where many people think it is unclear who and what the military is fighting for.
The military’s main armored vehicle brigades have been using a mixture of outdated, secondhand parts and new parts, and they have even been assembled using inferior, low-quality products made in China.
COMPROMISED
Former Aviation Safety Council deputy minister Michael Gau (高聖惕) became a distinguished research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in China; the National Space Organization’s head scientist, Liu Cheng-yen (劉正彥), was invited to be a part-time lecturer at China’s Sea Poly Project in Beijing; and the air force base housing Taiwan’s Apache helicopters was seemingly left undefended and treated like a scenic spot to provide photo opportunities for tourists.
With military equipment, national security intelligence and the security of a military aircraft base compromised, how is Taiwan supposed to fight a war?
Chang Kuo-tsai is a retired National Hsinchu University of Education associate professor and a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
Translated by Zane Kheir
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