The accidental firing of a Hsiung Feng III missile from a navy corvette last week not only killed a fisherman and injured three crewmen, but scored a direct hit on the reputation of the nation’s armed forces.
The navy’s safety procedures entail all kinds of checks and verifications before a missile can be launched, yet a petty officer second class, acting alone in violation of standard operating procedure, was still able to launch a missile. It is no wonder that three-quarters of the public think the military is unfit for duty. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has called the situation utterly unacceptable.
However, Taiwan’s navy is not the first to score such an own-goal. On Sept. 6, 1982, a Royal Danish Navy frigate accidentally launched a harpoon missile while on patrol. The missile traveled about 30km inland before it exploded, destroying four buildings and damaging 130. There were no fatalities, but given that the incident occurred in the waning days of the Cold War, it caused tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
The subsequent investigation found that the missile launch key had not been in the lock at the time of the incident, nor was the launch procedure engaged, as the system was undergoing maintenance. The verdict was that the firing had been the result of system error, and the defense contractor responsible was ordered to pay compensation.
However, the initial probe into Friday’s firing is pointing toward human error. While this appears mainly attributable to one individual, Petty Officer Second Class Kao Chia-chun (高嘉駿), a supervising officer should also have been on site, but was not.
This situation appears to be quite a common occurrence, indicating a long-standing and entrenched lapse in military discipline. The training and engagement command systems in the entire navy clearly need to be thoroughly reviewed.
This particular buck does not stop at Naval Commander Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), either: Chief of the General Staff Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) should take a larger portion of responsibility for this than Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬).
However, purely disciplinary measures will do nothing to resolve the root cause of the problem. The government should launch a complete review of the standard operating procedure for missile launch training, and introduce a new, rigorous procedure incorporating several levels of checks.
There would also appear to be a great need for fresh blood in the armed forces: New personnel bring fresh ideas. Tsai has said she does not expect the military to just move around the furniture or paint over the cracks; much work needs to be done on discipline and training.
The missile incident has revealed a lax attitude toward discipline throughout the armed forces, and this can only be disastrous for military effectiveness.
If the armed forces are to win back the public’s trust, they have to embark upon some serious reflection, address discipline and morale issues and make some real improvements. If they fail to do so, they will find it difficult to claw back some dignity and honor from this sorry affair.
Recent years have not been kind to the nation’s armed forces, which have been rocked by controversy, low morale and had their training and battle readiness questioned, as well as doubts about the loyalty of both serving and retired top brass and flag officers. In addition, the military recruitment system is undergoing huge changes. The military is in a rut and needs nothing short of total reform.
The Ministry of National Defense should set up a special task force to review the problems at each level and branch of the military and to come up with some proposals for reform.
A nation’s armed forces are not worthy of the name if they cannot even claim to have the trust of the people they are supposed to be defending.
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