A senior U.S. Department of Defense official said that Taiwan cannot defend itself against China’s military threat simply by increasing its defense budget. He recommends that Taiwan buy large quantities of small lethal weapons, such as cruise missiles, and also strengthen its own weapons development.
David Helvey, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the comments at a U.S.-Taiwan defense industry conference that concluded Tuesday.
Helvey told an online U.S.-Taiwan Business Council-sponsored U.S.-Taiwan defense industry conference that Taiwan’s increased military budget is “a step in the right direction,” but it does not yet ensure the military resources needed to counter the Chinese Liberation Army (PLA). “Resilient Defense”.
He noted that Taiwan must continue its efforts to improve its defense capabilities through both domestic development and foreign procurement, and be careful to avoid overspending in areas with limited returns.
In the face of China’s military threat, the Taiwan government has raised its 2021 defense budget by more than 10 percent, increasing the total to NT$453.4 billion, or about $15.2 billion. This is the largest military budget ever proposed by the Taiwan government.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen stressed the importance of increasing the military budget and strengthening Taiwan’s security cooperation with the United States and other democracies to counter provocations by Chinese forces in the Taiwan Strait. Tsai said that with Beijing’s introduction of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, Taiwan has been at the forefront of the confrontation between the world’s democratic and liberal nations and the authoritarian Chinese Communist regime.
In the recent period, Taiwan’s liaison activities with Europe and the United States have increased significantly, provoking a backlash from Beijing. Last month, the Chinese Communist Party sent dozens of military aircraft over the centerline of the Taiwan Strait to frequently harass Taiwan, greatly increasing military pressure.
Taiwan Defense Minister Yan De-Fa said that the PLA had launched 217 sorties into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) this year. In each case, the Taiwan Air Force launched jet fighters to expel them. This is one reason why Taiwan’s defense budget will need to be increased next year, he said.
In his keynote address, Haidai noted that given Taiwan’s limited military spending, it is all the more important to focus on balance in the allocation and use of resources. “A balanced approach involves domestic development, overseas procurement, and the maintenance or abandonment of existing systems to ensure effective and routine military deterrence.”
Taiwan also has an indigenous weapons development program, so it is important to avoid over-investing in areas that are unlikely to generate a return on investment, according to David Haidt. He suggested that Taiwan’s defense capabilities should be “reliable, resilient, mobile, decentralized, and cost-effective” to achieve the goal of multi-domain deterrence.
He said, “We encourage Taiwan to develop what I call a ‘large number of small capabilities,’ that is, the kind of defensive capability that lets an adversary know that it cannot launch an invasion or attack without paying a significant price.” This approach of small-scale investment in lethal weapons, he said, is consistent with Taiwan’s need to defend itself against military threats and would provide Taiwan with the best assurance.
This defensive capability refers to a highly mobile defensive cruise missile, which is why the U.S. is encouraging Taiwan to procure or produce as many of these missiles as possible, David further explained.
The senior U.S. defense official also mentioned a number of defense capabilities that Taiwan should prioritize, including weapons for defending coastal areas and beaches, such as short-range anti-aircraft weapons, defensive naval mines, small fast-attack craft, mobile artillery, and advanced surveillance equipment.
David emphasized that these weapons are more “survivable” than traditional large combat platforms, are better suited to Taiwan’s geography, and are important for Taiwan’s military to prepare for a “battle it cannot afford to lose.
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