The military is to oversee the establishment of the first tank battalion to be fully outfitted with M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks, the creation of drone units within the army, and address issues such as draft dodging and how to better protect the anonymity of military personnel online, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday.
Koo made the comments during a National Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.
The first M1A2T tank battalion would be officially established on Friday next week and assigned to the army’s 584th Armored Brigade in Hsinchu County, Koo said.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
The army’s more than 1,000 tanks, including CM-11s and M60A3s, have been in service for several decades, so the military has sought to modernize its tank inventory by purchasing new engines for the M60A3s, upgrading their fire control systems and allocating NT$4.05 billion (US$131.4 million) to purchase 108 additional M1A2T tanks.
Unlike previous tank models, which required the crew to seek, aim and engage a target before moving on to the next target, the new M1A2T’s fire control system designates a target for the gunner and immediately moves on to the next, Koo said.
Of the 108 tanks purchased, 80 have already been delivered, he said, adding that the first batch of 38 have been refitted, distributed for training and undergone a gunnery exercise in July.
The military is building up its counter-drone capabilities, including anti-missile and anti-drone defenses, the funding for which would be made available in the ministry’s upcoming special budget, he said.
Regarding Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chun-yu’s (陳俊宇) suggestion that drone operators be eligible for additional pay, Koo said that the ministry would discuss the issue, adding that drone operators already qualify for combat bonuses.
Asked whether the US government shutdown would affect the delivery dates of US arms packages purchased by the military, Koo said that companies contracted for the arms deals were not military and would not be affected by the shutdown, but the ministry would keep a close eye on the issue.
The ministry is considering allowing personnel to use aliases while on the job, Koo said in response to DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu’s (王定宇) questions regarding China’s “bounty” on military personnel.
The “bounty” was a mish-mash of information and part of cognitive warfare, he said.
Wang said that the military should not assign aliases to everyone, as this would render them redundant. He added that the military should compensate soldiers named by China, regardless of whether the information was correct.
As for the mandatory military service, the requirements have not changed, Koo said.
The changes announced by the Ministry of the Interior would only affect people serving alternative military service, he added.
Several entertainers, including Taiwanese boy band Energy member Hsieh Kun-da (謝坤達) were arrested for allegedly falsifying medical records to dodge the draft.
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