The US Navy regularly conducts global war games to develop deterrence strategies against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, aimed at making the nation “a very difficult target to take,” US Acting Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby said on Wednesday.
Testifying before the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Kilby said the navy has studied the issue extensively, including routine simulations at the Naval War College.
The navy is focused on five key areas: long-range strike capabilities; countering China’s command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting; terminal ship defense; contested logistics; and nontraditional maritime denial tactics, Kilby said.
Photo: Huang Cheng-chia, Taipei Times
The navy is investing in and experimenting with new technologies in these areas, Kilby said, adding that he recently met with Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo and Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler in San Diego to accelerate deployment.
Asked whether a US$13 billion aircraft carrier or uncrewed systems would be more useful for Taiwan’s defense, Kilby said he would prefer deploying drones in Taiwan.
“It’s a hard question to answer without qualifying questions, but if I could put those drones on Taiwan, I’d put them on Taiwan,” he said.
Photo: Huang Cheng-chia, Taipei Times
Also at the hearing, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced pressure from US Representative Don Bacon, who called for faster arms deliveries to Taiwan, citing the urgent need for sea mines and other defense systems.
The Pentagon is no longer just reviewing the matter, but taking active steps, Hegseth said.
He acknowledged that while previous administrations have pledged to shift focus to the Indo-Pacific region, “the department had not put in place” those changes.
In related news, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday visited a National Police Agency counterterrorism training center in Taoyuan’s Sinwu District (新屋).
Lai praised the agency’s Special Operations Group after watching a team of students go through drills and inspecting their weapons and equipment.
A new 75m indoor shooting range would be added to the center and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, the agency said.
Nearly 60 members of the Special Operations Group conducted two assault training drills, including breaching a door with a BearCat G2 armored vehicle and a hostage rescue drill that included a simulated helicopter rappel.
The hostage rescue drill also involved the use of stun grenades to neutralize “kidnappers.”
The Special Operations Group is an elite, important unit, Lai said.
In addition to counterterrorism operations, the unit carries out high-risk operations in major criminal cases and specialized missions such as countersabotage and anti-hijackings, he said.
No one hopes for such incidents to occur, but the more proactive training is, the more people would feel secure and the more capable the nation could be in responding to challenges, Lai said.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
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