Tang looks at offensive capabilities

Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) said the military will develop offensive capabilities in the future to deter China from using force against Taiwan.

"The military's arms build-up will surely move toward this direction since it will suit the future combat situation," Tang said.

Tang the statement at a meeting of the defense committee of the legislature in response to inquiries from a lawmaker over whether the military will consider developing offensive capabilities.

DPP Kuo Jung-chung (郭榮宗), who asked Tang for his view on the issue, said some US congressmen, in private, had expressed support for Taiwan to develop offensive capabilities.

"They think we should not passively wait to be bullied by China. They urge us to actively develop counter capabilities," Kuo said.

"Our second-generation fighter planes, for instance, could be modified to acquire certain offensive capabilities against China," he said.

In response, Tang said he agreed with Kuo on the issue and that the military would move toward that direction.

Tang, though not taking the initiative to make public the military's plan to develop offensive capabilities, was close to formally announcing that the military will no longer confine itself to passive defense and will move toward active defense.

As to how the military will accomplish its goal, Tang said he could not talk about the details because it would affect the situation in the Taiwan Strait.

Although Tang declined to reveal anything about the military's plan to deter China, there are certain on-going secret weaponry development projects which might be connected with the plan.

The development of a surface-to-surface missile, for instance, is considered to be able to neutralize China's advantage over Taiwan in missile attack capabilities.

The surface-to-surface missile will have a range of 300km, capable of striking certain military assets in coastal China.

The missile is currently under development at the Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) of the military.

The air force is also developing offensive capabilities on the basis of its F-16 fighter planes, sources said.

One the most frequently practiced maneuvers by F-16 pilots is to simulate long-distance low-flying bombing missions against targets along China's southeastern coastline.

To increase success rates for F-16 pilots in the execution of missions of this kind, the air force has completed a multi-year and multi-billion NT dollar project of the aerial mapping of China's southeastern coastline.

Meanwhile at yesterday's meeting of the defense committee of the legislature, minister Tang, known for his mild temper, almost flew into a rage as he responded to inquiries from a DPP woman lawmaker over the sighting of a Chinese spy ship off Orchid island on National Day on Oct. 10.

Tang that the Chinese spy ship was not discovered to have intentionally approached Taiwan's territorial waters to create any political disturbances on Taiwan's National Day. The explanation was not accepted by Legislator Chou Hui-yin (周慧瑛).