A US military delegation has arrived in Taiwan to evaluate the combat strength of the marine corps as the basis for the provision of weaponry to Taiwan in the future, defense sources said yesterday.
The delegation is at the headquarters of the marine corps in Kaohsiung's Tsoying for talks with marine leaders. It has been in Taiwan for more than a week.
The delegation is scheduled to stay in Taiwan for a few more days, during which it will travel to major military or commercial ports for an understanding of how these ports could be integrated for defense purposes.
The delegation is the second of its kind sent by the US military in the past few months. In mid-August, the US military sent a team to understand the current conditions of the army here.
The last US military evaluation team had suggested during its stay here that Taiwan could develop combat tactics similar to those being adopted by the Chinese military under the unrestricted warfare doctrine.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was the reason why President Chen Shui-bian (
"Unrestricted warfare is more of a theory than of a guide for new combat tactics. It is very similar to the political warfare that we have embraced for decades," the official said.
It is not known whether the US military delegation will provide any suggestions to the local military leadership regarding arms buildup.
But the delegation has expressed concerns about the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) plan to cut the marine corps by half, sources said.
The downsizing plan is part of the next wave of personnel streamlining efforts, code-named "the Chingchin Project," that the ministry will launch in 2004 and finish in 2006.
The plan is to deactivate one of the only two combat-capable brigades of the marine corps. The two brigades of the corps are based in Taichung and Kaohsiung. The Taichung brigade is scheduled to be deactivated.
The corps has yet another brigade of troops, which are scattered around Taiwan to serve as guards at military ports. This brigade is hardly combat capable.
Port-guarding troops will be transferred from the marine corps to the navy. As a result, the marine corps will be left with only one brigade of troops, which will not exceed 10,000 men. The marine corps belongs the navy but is virtually independent in practice.
An official with the marine corps complained that every time there is a personnel streamlining project, the navy suggests cuts to the marine corps.
"We are expendable to the navy. We can understand why they always choose to sacrifice us. They need a sufficient supply of manpower to get the ships going," the official said.
"But what about those serving at the navy's shipyards? They spend more time reading newspapers and drinking tea than doing their job. Why keep them?" he asked.
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