Naval officers who in July last year signed procurement contracts to acquire Raytheon Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS) will be disciplined for reaching a deal before a budget was approved by the Legislative Yuan, a government source said yesterday.
The navy admitted negligence in the matter, which has led to several spending items being suspended and has been condemned by lawmakers from both political camps, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Three officers from Naval Command Headquarters will receive warnings as punishment for signing the contract, the official said.
The naval officers to be disciplined are: retired Naval Command Headquarters chief of staff vice admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹); retired director of combat systems rear admiral Wang Tsung-yu (王宗煜); and Combat Systems Division Captain Wu Ting-kuang (胡庭光).
Mei is currently the director of the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau and Wang is the deputy chief of the ministry’s Information and Electronic Warfare Command.
Commander of the Navy Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) singled himself out for disciplinary action, while President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) gave him a warning — as is appropriate for such actions against an admiral or a general, the official said.
The official said the Phalanx systems used by the navy had reached the end of their service life and the US Navy had stopped providing spare parts.
The official added that the need for new systems had become more pressing because of the administration’s plan to build warships domestically.
A budget of about NT$10.16 billion (US$335 million) had been allocated between fiscal 2017 and 2025 for the procurement of Phalanx systems, which include 13 sets of Mk-15 Phalanx Block-1B, ammunitions, spare parts, technical manuals, software, and training and technical support, sources said.
The US Navy on Jan. 14, 2015, gave a quotation for the weapons at US$320.24 million, announced the itemized list on Dec. 16 of the same year, which included the Mk-15 Phalanx CIWS Block-1B sets, and issued a letter of offer and acceptance on May 20 last year, sources said.
The US told Taiwanese officials that if the navy signed the agreement before July 22, it would be able to purchase the package at a discounted price of US$278.33 million, as its order would be merged with other orders.
Out of financial considerations, the navy, after receiving approval from the Ministry of National Defense, agreed and signed the contract on July 20, the sources said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force