The Armed Forces Reserve Command yesterday criticized the army for failing to offer proper support during the Wanan (
The Reserve Command provides the army with reserve troops for participation in routine exercises. During wartime, its job is to keep front-line troops constantly supplied with reserve reinforcements.
The army was blamed for failing to send troops to participate in certain aspects of the Wanan No. 24 drill that were explicitly designed with the army's presence in mind.
The Reserve Command, which was in charge of the planning and execution of the exercise, made its criticism yesterday as part of an account of deficiencies uncovered during the exercise held in 16 cities and counties.
The Wanan-series air raid drills are held annually across the country, simulating joint military and civilian rescue efforts launched in the wake of missile strikes or bomb attacks by the Chinese military.
The military takes the lead in organizing the event, inviting cooperation from relevant government departments such as the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Coast Guard Administration and other agencies.
Major General Hsu Tsai-lin (
"In the Taipei aspects of the drill, the army should have sent engineering troops to support bridge-laying missions. But the army refused to send the troops as requested, saying it was making war preparations and had no extra forces available," Hsu said.
"The army's refusal to cooperate in the exercise is not to be encouraged, since it would be detrimental to coordination between relevant governmental agencies in launching rescue efforts during peace or war time," he said.
Other weaknesses that the Reserve Command identified included a shortage of rescue helicopters in eastern Taiwan, a lack of fire-fighting vessels and foam-equipped fire engines in the ports of the Penghu island group, and a lack of police training and equipment to deal with nuclear or chemical attacks.
Hsu called special attention to the police's inability to deal with nuclear and chemical attacks since it would be a vulnerable area in the event of an attack by China using weapons of mass destruction.
"The police now only have the ability to detect nuclear and chemical pollution. They are not capable of fighting the pollution," Hsu said.
"The military may not have extra personnel or equipment to support the police's rescue efforts in the event of nuclear or chemical pollution during war time. It is urgent that the military help the police develop sufficient capacity in this area," he said. "The police will have to fight such problems on their own during war time."
Maverick missile sale
In related news, the US on Tuesday announced the proposed sale of 40 air-to-surface missiles to Taiwan, saying the weapons will allow Taiwan's F-16 fighters to counter a possible amphibious assault.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release that it has notified Congress of the possible sale of the AGM-65G Maverick missiles and associated items and services, at an estimated total cost of US$18 million.
The Mavericks are expected to greatly enhance the air force's capacity to deter enemy ships from crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait or attempting to land troops on Taiwan's coast.
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