The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said it welcomes the US’ ongoing efforts to help the country train its troops, after sources on Monday said that nearly 200 US military instructors are working in Taiwan.
The US advisers have been primarily assigned to boot camps and reserve brigades to observe Taiwan’s protocols and provide practical consultations on training methods, the sources within the armed forces said.
The input from US military advisers would help Taiwan formulate better training methods for when mandatory military service is next year extended from four months to one year, the sources said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The ministry appreciates the efforts of “an allied country in boosting the nation’s armed forces by means of military training,” ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said.
He added that he would not give details on the collaboration, citing a mutual agreement.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto US embassy, said that it does not comment on specific operations the US has in Taiwan, but reiterated Washington’s support for Taipei’s defense.
“We don’t have a comment on specific operations, engagements or training, but I would highlight that our support for and defense relationship with Taiwan remain aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” an AIT spokesperson said in an e-mail.
“Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” the spokesperson added.
Local media began reporting sightings of US advisers as early as March 27 at a base in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山).
Chieh Chung (揭仲), an associate research fellow at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, said that if the advisers provide practical improvements, Taiwan’s military could make great strides.
The US military is familiar with strategic shooting and battlefield medical training, both of which could benefit conscripts, Chieh said.
Institute of National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said that the deployment of advisers, mainly from the US Army, was part of Washington’s efforts to fulfill the ambitions of the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which seeks to deepen military exchanges with Taiwan and strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities.
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