The army has proposed a modernization program to replace or upgrade nine major types of weapons and equipment, including replacing aging battle tanks with US-made M1A2 Abrams, a Ministry of National Defense official said.
The budget plan, titled “The Follow-up Plan for the Procurement of Important New Combat Systems for the Army,” requests the ministry to obtain a substantial number of new weapons, the official said on condition of anonymity.
While the army has over the past decade obtained AH-64 attack and UH-60 utility helicopters and CM-32 wheeled armored personnel carriers, large quantities of other essential equipment still need modernization, the official said.
The nine items on the army’s wish list are tanks, anti-tank guided missiles, self-propelled air defense systems, mortars and 155mm howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles, tracked field recovery vehicles, fuel trucks and new rifles, the official said.
The equipment is to be obtained from US arms sales or developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and manufactured domestically, he said.
All of the weapons and equipment tentatively slated for replacement or upgrades are those that have been in service for more than 25 years and are nearing obsolescence, he said.
Army generals, especially those from the armored branch, want to place an order for more than 500 M1A2 tanks to replace the M60A3 and CM-11 tanks, whereas the ministry considers their proposal excessive, because the army has more than 1,000 tanks in active service, he said.
Instead, the ministry is inclined to request to purchase about 100 M1A2 tanks from the US, which would be adequate for fully equipping two armored battalions, he said.
The army’s Avenger air defense missile system — essentially Stinger missile launchers mounted on Humvees — are armed with older munitions types and have a high incident rate for rollovers, he said.
As a result, the army is interested in either procuring an upgraded model from the US, or considering the option of replacing it with an indigenous self-propelled air defense system to be developed by the institute, the official said.
The remaining legacy tanks and artillery pieces would undergo servicing to extend their service life and maintenance until they could be replaced, he said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS