Alongside advanced weapons, the nation’s defense strategy should take advantage of Taiwan’s geographical characteristics to bolster its asymmetric warfare capabilities, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research said.
The Ministry of National Defense has increased its supply of precision ammunition in recent years, but should also devise strategies that take better advantage of the nation’s geographical characteristics to lengthen the engagement in the event of a conflict with China, the institute said in a report released on Aug. 7.
Taking into account the nation’s defense strategy, its limited resources and its geostrategic environment, and giving consideration to cost effectiveness, the military could make use of long-range precision weapons to “use terrain to control the sea and the sky,” the report said.
If China were to attack, it would put Taiwan under time pressure, so the military should try to take advantage of the nation’s geography to prolong the fighting and control the course of the battle, it said.
For example, firepower could be installed in low mountain passes that are easily guarded and hard to attack, it said.
Installations in fish farms, farmlands, coastal areas, and towns and cities throughout the nation could also all be used by the military in the event of a conflict, it said.
The report also suggested supplementing existing forces with anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles or rockets, small and large-caliber sniper rifles, and other high-efficiency weapons, it said, adding that soldiers could be trained in a larger variety of weapons to increase their effectiveness.
A source yesterday said that the military was already training new volunteer officers and soldiers in a variety of tasks and weaponry, and that every soldier could now handle two or more types of weapons.
It has also begun to take account of wartime-usable terrain throughout the nation once per season, the source said.
The ministry has procured shoulder-mounted FIM-92 Stinger infrared homing surface-to-air missile systems from the US to improve its anti-air capabilities, the source said.
It also plans to purchase Harpoon anti-ship missiles from the US, M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket launchers and M109A6 Howitzer tanks, the source said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS