Ex-navy chiefs object to plans to purchase Kidds

A People First Party (PFP) lawmaker yesterday lambasted a US offer to sell Taiwan four aging Kidd-class destroyers, claiming that all former commanders-in-chief of the navy oppose such a deal.

"As far as I know, all of the ex-navy chiefs are opposed to the navy's Kidd purchase plan. Their voice has not been heard because they do not want to express their opposition openly," said PFP Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華).

"We should say `no' to the US. The four Kidds that the US wants to sell us are retired ships. We do not need this kind of old ship. The US tried to sell them to Greece and Australia in the past but without success," Lee said.

"If we buy these old ships, we will spend a lot of money maintaining and repairing them over the next two decades. That will only serve the business interests of the Americans," he said.

"The four decommissioned Kidds will cost Taiwan a total of US$800 million [NT$250 billion]. We will also pay a lot of money for the Kidds to be refitted for service as well as for necessary expansion to Taiwan's military ports to accommodate them," Lee said.

Military analyst Chang Yu-hua (張友驊), who also attended the press conference, said it was true that almost all of the ex-navy chiefs did not support the plan to buy the Kidds.

"Ex-navy chiefs like Liu Ho-chien (劉和謙) have been known to oppose to the plan. Yeh Chan-tung (葉昌桐) does not voice support for the plan, either," Chang said. "Only the current navy leadership is in favor."

Liu served as navy commander-in-chief between 1983 and 1988. Yeh succeeded Liu, occupying the position until 1992.

Incumbent Minister of National Defense Wu Shih-wen (伍世文), who headed the navy between 1997 and 1999, is also said to be against the navy's Kidd purchase plan.

Wu is said to favor another option advocated by a minority of people in the navy, who maintain that small missile boats of under 200-tonnes displacement would better serve the navy's combat needs in the future.

"I personally do not object to the navy's plan to buy the Kidds. But I strongly suggest that the navy take into consideration a lot of problems that will arise with the operation of the Kidds in Taiwan," Chang said.

"The Kidds are good ships in terms of their anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities. But their unique command system could be linked only to the Chengkung-class frigates, rather than the other two types of new-generation warships," he said.