Wed, Jul 24, 2002 page1

• Menace of tech warfare looms: paper

  REPORT In an unusually candid edition of its biennial defense white paper, the military outlines what it sees as Taiwan's biggest threats and what it plans to do about them

  • By Brian Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  China's electronic and information warfare capabilities will pose a real threat to Taiwan by 2010, as it becomes more proficient in using electromagnetic pulse bombs and highly complicated computer viruses to paralyze Taiwan's command systems, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported in its 2002 defense white paper, which was released yesterday.

  To counter China's electronic and information warfare development, the military is to focus its arms build-up along similar lines, the 2002 National Defense Report says. The report is published every two years.

  

  PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

  To enhance its electronic warfare capability, the military is to integrate the command and control systems of the air force and navy to form an electronic surveillance network, the report says.

  The military is also to more effectively integrate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and underwater monitoring systems, which are to be part of the electronic surveillance network.

  The UAVs and underwater monitoring systems referred to are still under development or construction. The underwater monitoring systems, though not specified in the report, are believed to be those that Taiwan and the US are building in seas around Taiwan proper.

  It is the first time the MND has revealed in its defense white paper, the sixth since 1992, projects with such a high level of sensitivity.

  The report also candidly discusses another hitherto rarely-discussed project -- the establishment of a test site for electronic warfare drills.

  The project has now entered the second stage, the report says, although what the second stage consists of goes unexplained in the report.

  Building enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, including the introduction of electronic warfare units in all three services, is now a major objective, the report says.

  The existence of the army's electronic warfare battalion, established only last year with US assistance, is for the first time confirmed by the report.

  In the area of information warfare, the military is developing on its own attack and defense capabilities, with an eye on winning any potential information clash with China, the report says.

  A reading of the report indicates that the military is wary of China's progress in this area. The report estimates that by 2010, China will be able to use computer viruses to attack and paralyze Taiwan's military computer networks.

  Aside from introducing its new electronic and information warfare capabilities, the report is also notable for outlining a change in the military's engagement sequence for the three services in case of an attack from China.

  For years, the military had been using "command of the air, command of the sea and counter-amphibious landing," as the air force, navy, and army engagement sequence against any invasion attempt.

  The phrasing in the year's report reads, "command of the air, command of the sea and homeland defense."

  The change is being interpreted by some military observers as a sign that the army is losing its importance vis-a-vis the air force and navy.

  But at yesterday's regular press conference of the MND, deputy air force chief Lieutenant General Fu Wei-ku (傅慰孤), who was responsible of the compilation of the 2002 defense white paper, denied that the change is meant to belittle the army.

  "We use the term `homeland defense' to conform with the homeland security concept instituted by the US after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The term covers a much wider range of areas than `counter-amphibious landing.' The army has not been belittled. It has become much more important, in fact," Fu said.

  Whether or not Fu's comments are sincere, the rephrasing of the time-worn slogan marks an unprecedented effort by leaders in the armed forces to breathe new life into the military, a conservative institution which more often than not resists attempts to reform it.

  The report touches not just on purely military subjects. It also offers the MND's view of political issues, such as the establishment of confidence building measures (CBMs) between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The report says that the MND would like to see the two sides reach agreements on CBMs, as long as the agreements are made on the basis of mutual respect.

  The report also says that the MND is willing to send high-ranking officials for regular talks with Chinese military authorities.

  The MND also says it is prepared to drawn up plans for port visits between the two navies. It is also considering the mapping of a demilitarized zone as a buffer between militaries of the two sides.

  These objectives, however, are regarded as medium-term goals to be more-seriously considered if and when the two sides reach agreement on the CBMs.

  The 2002 National Defense Report is considered by military analysts to be somewhat of a watershed event, given its candidness relative to past editions.

  It includes for the first time, for example, the results of an opinion poll that the Cabinet conducted late last year on the public's perception of the defense ministry.

  The results of the opinion poll were not favorable, a defense official said, but the MND decided to print them anyway out of fear that its image might be affected even more negatively if it didn't.

  The opinion poll, conducted by telephone with 1,130 people, took place between Oct. 29 and Oct. 31 last year. The results are said to have a 95 percent reliability, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent.

  In the poll, just 51.8 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the performance of MND. The MND's satisfaction rating in the category of arms purchases was even lower -- at 34.1 percent.
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