Lawmaker says US warship deal makes no sense

A senior DPP lawmaker yesterday called on the navy to put on hold its plan to buy four Kidd-class destroyers from the US -- and to reconsider whether it really needs the ships for future combat needs.

Lawmaker Liang Mu-yung (梁牧饔), a member of the defense committee of the legislature, said he is strongly opposed to the deal, mainly because it was the US, rather than Taiwan, that took the initiative in the matter.

"I am not the only DPP lawmaker opposed to the deal. Half of the DPP lawmakers on the defense committee are on my side. I don't think our party's legislative caucus will ignore our opinion," Liang said.

Liang made the remarks yesterday at a press conference he called at the legislature, where he explained why he has been against the navy's plan to buy the Kidds. Liang is currently the DPP's most senior lawmaker on the defense committee.

Vice Admiral Kao Yang (高揚), deputy commander-in-chief of the navy, led a group of naval officials that attended the press conference. Kao and other attending naval officials did not give much response to a series of questions Liang raised at the press conference regarding the vessels.

Kao just said, "We will seek to make Liang understand why we want the Kidds." The fact that Kao did not defend the purchase plan in public aroused the press' interest.

Kao, a follower of ex-navy chief and defense minister Wu Shih-wen (世文), is widely considered to support Wu's call on the navy to build small and highly maneuverable ships, rather than bulky ships like the Kidds.

Most officers in the navy's leadership favor large ships such as the Kidd and Aegis-equipped ships, which the US will sell Taiwan after the navy gets used to operating the Kidd.

"Such a development will edge out the navy's initial plan to build a fleet of small and fast ships," Liang said.

"The navy now looks sure to obtain the four Kidds. I think the navy should listen to opposing opinions from the outside -- some lawmakers and scholars. Most of the scholars I have consulted are against the Kidds," he said.

"I hope the navy will reconsider whether it really needs the Kidds. Otherwise, I will have reason to suspect that the navy has reached a secret agreement with the US military on the Kidds," he said.

"I will express my worry and doubts about the Kidds to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)," he added.

Despite Liang's objections, the navy seems ready to sign a contract with a US military delegation on the Kidds deal next week.