At the beginning of this year, Russian soldiers on the battlefield in Ukraine were targeted when talking to their families on cellphones. The Ukrainian army pinpointed the phone signals and launched missiles that killed dozens of Russian troops.
The incident reminds one of a passage in Sun Zi’s (孫子) The Art of War (孫子兵法): “By persistently hanging on the enemy’s flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.”
Technology has developed rapidly along with the widespread use of the Internet, which has changed the substance and appearance of military activities.
In the past, military officers’ authority came from their exclusive control of confidential intelligence, with which they had the power to deploy and command troops as they saw fit. Now, their knowledge of war and their ability to carry out missions have been challenged.
Technological development has had a great impact on the military education system. For instance, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Line have become the main tools for distributing information.
A few days ago, sex tapes of a couple in the military were leaked. The first step they took was not seeking assistance from official agencies; they asked their classmates in the military academy to help them catch the suspect. The incident shows that in the Internet age, young officers have more confidence in their peers than their senior officials.
The incident of the leaked sex videos is not as serious as that of the Russian troops being detected via cellphone signals, but today, the world is facing an incredible moment in military affairs.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force continues to make incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone and across the Taiwan Strait’s median line.
Meanwhile, the competition between the US and China shows no signs of abating. A balloon has not only affected US-China relations, but also resulted in a confrontation between Taiwan’s political parties.
Inevitably, use of the Internet will continue to affect the military and it must cope with this.
Soldiers who once fought against the communists are a thing of the past, and the pursuit of democracy in Taiwan has allowed military education to be depoliticized and professionalized. China’s threat should have elevated the status of Taiwan’s armed forces, and public opinion should have been consolidated, but attitudes toward cross-strait tensions vary. Some insist on solving the problem peacefully, whereas others believe that war is the only solution. This is an issue worth discussing further.
According to the Constitution, the president has supreme command of the nation’s land, sea and air forces, and the armed forces must remain politically neutral.
Currently, Taiwan can no longer differentiate the front line from the rear. Global economic and social changes have tied Taipei and the world together, and the nation’s strategic position is more significant than ever.
Despite the somewhat secluded nature of the military academy, it is necessary to train soldiers in a modern way and broaden their worldviews. Besides training to fight, soldiers must learn more about cyberattacks, cognitive warfare and fifth-generation warfare to complete missions more effectively.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China Military Academy. Before the celebration, existing problems must be dealt with.
All military personnel should also be told to use cellphones with discretion, so that military intelligence and their reputations can be protected.
However, compared with other tasks, this is a minor one.
Chu Wen-jang is an associate professor in the Republic of China Military Academy’s Department of Political Science.
Translated by Liu Yi-hung
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