The marine corps is to spend NT$3.34 million on buying new weapons and equipment over the next two years as part of its efforts toward modernization, according to information provided by the marine corps.
Items on the purchase list range from individual weapons and equipment, wheeled transportation vehicles, command vehicles, dump trucks, engineer vehicles, mine detectors and sea water purification systems.
The marine corps made public the list on Tuesday at its Kaohsiung headquarters. It was part of a static display that the corps presented to the press in the wake of a small-scale amphibious landing drill.
It was rare for the marine corps or any other branch of the military to make known to the public information about its weaponry purchase. The purchase list disclosed by the marine corps even contained detailed information about the price and acquisition time for each of the items to be bought.
The list did not include, however, the AAV1-P7 amphibious assault vehicle that the US has agreed to sell to Taiwan.
The items that the marine corps is to buy over the next two years are to be worth NT$3.34 million in all. The most costly of these items are a medium tactical wheeled vehicle and a light tactical wheeled vehicle.
The marine corps is to buy 40 of the medium tactical wheeled vehicles at NT$1.5 million each and 60 of the light tactical wheeled vehicles at NT$1 million each. Besides these vehicles, the marine corps is also to buy a variety of personal weapons and equipment for its elite unit -- the reconnaissance group.
The reconnaissance group used to be called the navy's special operations unit but was changed to the current name two years ago due to the Chingshih personnel streamlining project.
* Personal combat suit that contains a protective helmet, goggles, bullet-proof vest and specially made boots for reconnaissance group members.
* Two kinds of new sniper rifles, the M24 and M82A1 rifles. A total of 63 of the two kinds of rifles are to be bought by 2004.
The unit is one of the top special operations forces in the armed forces, specializing in reconnaissance, raids and infiltration missions.
To upgrade the unit's combat strength, the marine corps is to buy two kinds of new sniper rifles, the M24 and M82A1 rifles. A total of 63 of the two kinds of rifles are to be bought by 2004.
The M24 is to be used against personnel, while the M82A1 is to be used against light armor and aircraft.
All of the members of the reconnaissance group are to be equipped with a new personal combat suit that contains a protective helmet, goggles, bullet-proof vest and specially made boots.
Each new combat suit is to cost NT$210,000. The marine corps is to buy 242 of these suits to equip the whole reconnaissance group.
A defense official, who spoke in private, said it is good to see the marine corps be so open-minded to make public the weaponry and equipment purchase list for the next two years.
"But we wonder whether the marine corps can get all the items on the list. They might be a little bit over-optimistic," the official said.
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