The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.
The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous.
It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source said.
Photo: The Ministry of National Defense via EPA-EFE
According to international maritime rules, coastal states may claim a territorial sea that extends up to 12 nautical miles from their shoreline. A nation’s contiguous zone is an area that is adjacent to the territorial sea and extends 24 nautical miles from the coastline.
The littoral combatant command would be responsible for integrating maritime surveillance, strike and communication capabilities, as well as mobile coastal units, the Naval Command Headquarters said.
The plan is still being discussed and evaluated, the navy said.
Three defense academics said that the new command would benefit the military’s reforms and overall defense.
As the proposed command would be responsible for defending Taiwan within 24 nautical miles of its coastline, it would have separate responsibilities from the Naval Fleet Command, which would likely oversee the defense of seas further away from Taiwan’s shoreline, said Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at Taiwan’s state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
He applauded what he called the structural reform of the navy.
Academic and retired navy captain Jiang Hsin-biao (江炘杓) said that once established, the new command would likely use smaller and lighter missile boats and corvettes, as well as coastal anti-ship missiles.
The navy’s main larger combat vessels would then be tasked with defending the seas around Taiwan, further away from the coast, he said.
That would mean the new command would share the responsibility of defending the country with the main combat ships and Naval Fleet Command, he added.
However, many other combat commands from other military branches, including the air force and army, are also responsible for defending areas within 24 nautical miles of the coastline, said Chieh Chung (揭仲), a researcher at the Taipei-based Association of Strategic Foresight.
Another new command could further complicate the command structure of the nation’s armed forces in the event of a war, Chieh said.
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