Army tests new command and control systems

Last week, the army completed an annual field exercise during which it tested newly-constructed command, control and communications systems, the army general headquarters said yesterday.

The field exercise in northern Taiwan, named Changsheng (Ever-Victorious) No. 10, took ten days and was the largest of its kind ever held by the army's sixth corps, which is responsible for guarding the north of the country. The exercise ended last Friday.

It was also the first field exercise held between two armored brigades since the brigades replaced traditional troop divisions. The new brigade arrangement is part of a recent streamlining in the military, with smaller, more mobile units that pack more firepower than the older troop divisions.

The two armored brigades mobilized for the exercises were the Hsinchu-based 542nd brigade and Taichung-based 586th brigade.

The exercise, held in a large area between Hsinchu and Miaoli counties, was designed to test the army's command, control, communications and intelligence (C3I) systems, on the building of which much effort has been concentrated in recent years.

The army built its C3I system with a variety of equipment it purchased from abroad in recent years -- such as the improved mobile subscriber equipment (IMSE) and the tactical communication system it bought from the US. The sixth corps is the only operational IMSE unit.

Erich Shih (施孝瑋), a senior editor with Defence International magazine, said the army was the least developed among the nation's three armed services and that it was good that the army finally had its own C3I system.

Nevertheless, an army official who declined to be identified said the army's test use of its C3I system in the Ever-Victorious exercise had only limited success.

"The main reason why it had only limited success is that personnel operating the C3I system are still familiarizing themselves with the system and that the system has not been fully integrated into the service," the official said.

"The army still lacks one major component to make its C3I system more effective. What we need are computers for battlefield use. Because of the lack of computers, we're unable to build a C4I [command, control, communications, computer and intelligence] system," he said.

Taiwan has acquired some battlefield computers over the past few years but still lacks the equipment necessary to create a nationwide C4I system.

The army has long been criticized for being the least modernized of the three services because of its outdated weaponry and equipment.

The lack of a modern command and control system has been one of the army's biggest vulnerabilities.

With new equipment like the IMSE system, the army claims to have made dramatic progress in command and control on the battlefield.