The US on Tuesday approved a US$100 million sale of arms and related services to Taiwan.
The package, which is expected to be formally confirmed by the US Congress next month, includes the “services support, designed to sustain, maintain, and improve” Taiwan’s Patriot missile systems, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Such missile systems are of growing importance to Taiwan’s defenses in the face of increasing Chinese incursions into the nation’s air defense identification zone, and the Ministry of National Defense should station more launch vehicles for Patriots and other missile systems on the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), as they are closest to the sites of the incursions.
The ministry should also speed up production of indigenous Ta Chiang-class corvettes, and outfit them with surface-to-air missile systems to patrol the waters near the Pratas Islands. This could take some pressure off the air force, which is strained by intercepting the incursions.
These interceptions also hamper training, as more experienced pilots are usually dispatched to fly the missions, the Central News Agency reported on Wednesday last week.
Pilot error is the most common reason for crashes involving Taiwanese jet fighters, and more training would be needed to prevent fatal incidents such as that which took the life of air force pilot Chen Yi (陳奕) on Jan. 11, the report said.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research senior researcher Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) in March last year suggested that the military use armed drones — such as the MQ-9, equipped with AIM-9 missiles — for defensive air patrols.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has also developed drones, and the ministry in December last year said it expects to next month strike a deal to procure US-made MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The ministry could station such long-range, heavy-duty drones on the Pratas Islands and Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the South China Sea, Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼) off northern Taiwan proper, and Kinmen, Lienchang and Penghu counties. Coupled with radar and automated defense systems, stationing the drones would contribute to turning Taiwan into a “porcupine island,” while taking pressure off the air force.
Drones could also help defend against China’s electronic warfare, such as when it dispatches J-16D fighters, as Beijing did in its latest incursion. The ministry could also use drones for intelligence gathering in the South China Sea and along the Chinese coast, and share its findings with the US and Japan. Ultimately, Taiwan needs to coordinate with friendly nations in the event of a Chinese attack, as networking and information sharing would be in the best interest of the parties involved.
National Policy Foundation researcher Chieh Chung (揭仲) on Jan. 24 said that a large Chinese incursion the day before was meant to send a message to Tokyo and Washington. It is evidence that Beijing recognizes the US and Japan’s shared interest with regard to defending Taiwan.
A strong show of unity between the three countries, as well as Australia, would cause Beijing to think twice before acting aggressively in the Taiwan Strait.
The pressure that Chinese incursions put on the air force shows that Taiwan should focus more on automated defense systems, as well as cooperation with like-minded partners, including intelligence sharing and joint drills, which would be a strong deterrent against Chinese aggression.
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