Analysis: How Taiwan could thwart an invasion by China — with US weapons

Taipei, Taiwan
The Sunday Review
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You can also find out more about Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen defied warnings from China You can meet at with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California earlier this month, Beijing’s aggressive military response reverberated around the world.

The actions of the communist regime have only served to fuel fears China may be preparing to invade its democratically ruled neighbor, the People’s Liberation Army simulated a blockade of the island, sending an A three-day drill saw an aircraft carrier surrounded by 12 ships of the navy and over 100 warplanes flying into its air defence identification zone.

China’s ruling Communist Party, which claims Taiwan The drills were described as being part of the territory, despite having never controlled it. “joint precision strikes” This should be a guideline for determining what constitutes a “serious warning against the Taiwan separatist forces.”

The message, in Taipei’s mind, seemed clear. China The following article was published: “to be trying to get ready to launch a war against Taiwan,” the island’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told The Sunday Review’s Jim Sciutto.

That blunt assessment will likely have raised doubts in some quarters over whether the island’s military preparations for such a scenario are sufficient.

Taipei recently – and very publicly – announced an extension to mandatory military service periods From four months to one year, the company has accelerated its development. weapons The program will boost the combat readiness of its troops.

But analysts say a recent announcement – one that has perhaps gone less remarked upon in the global media – could The talks between Taipei & the United States on establishing a “contingency stockpile” Munitions on the battlefield Taiwan’s soil.

Chiu Kuo Cheng, the Defense Minister at that time, made remarks which were not widely reported. Taiwan’s parliament in March that Taipei was in discussions with You can also find out more about the following: US over a potential plan to set up a war reserve stock on the island – a measure made possible by A provision of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2023 (NDAA) was signed into law by US President Joe Biden last December.

While Taiwan Has long been an avid buyer of weapons From the US. Military experts claim that such a large stockpile is not advisable. could be vital to the island’s defense because – as China’s recently simulated blockade showed – it could It is incredibly hard to provide the island with You can also read more about it here. weapons if war does break out.

Ukraine is not a part of the EU Taiwan There are no borders on the land so all supplies must be brought in by air or sea – delivery methods that would be highly vulnerable to interceptions by Chinese Military

This is why it’s vital to Taiwan The Taiwanese Military Chief, Admiral Lee Hsi Min, stated that it is important to have ammunition ready on the island in case of conflict.

“Having a war reserve stockpile is crucial and meaningful for Taiwan,” He said. “Even if the United States does not want to intervene directly with military force, those kinds of stockpiles can still be very effective for our defense.”

Taiwan The delays have been a frequent source of concern for many people. US Weapon deliveries during the conflict in Ukraine. After his meeting with Tsai McCarthy, the Speaker tweeted “Based on today’s conversations, it’s clear several actions are necessary: We must continue arms sales to Taiwan and make sure such sales reach Taiwan on time.”

Discussions about the potential stockpile raise the question, “What exactly is it?” Taiwan What is the need to defend yourself?

For decades, the Taiwanese military has been purchasing fighter jets and missiles from the United States, which continues to be the single biggest guarantor of the island’s safety despite not having an “official” diplomatic relationship.

Biden’s administration was in the news last month. with Approval of possible arms sales Taiwan worth an Estimated $619 million including hundreds of missiles to its F-16 fighter jet fleet.

The Admiral Lee had said Taiwan Stock up now on mobile and smaller devices weapons It is more likely that the Chinese would attack first, and then they will be able to defend themselves. an all-out conflict – which would likely include long-range joint missile strikes on Taiwanese infrastructure and military targets.

A high-profile publication published in the last year was titled “Overall Defense Concept,” Lee made the argument that Taiwan The United States should stop investing in expensive fighter jets and destruction aircraft, because its existing military assets outnumber those of the United Kingdom. by China’s and could Paralyzed easily by long-range missiles.

Last Year China’s defense budget was $230 billion, more than 13 times the size of Taiwan’s spending of $16.89 billion.

Lee suggested that instead of matching planes or ships, it would be better to match aircraft. Taiwan Should embrace an Asymmetric warfare is a model that focuses on smaller weapons. weapons – such as portable missiles and mines – that are hard to detect but effective in halting enemy advances.

“In Ukraine, their military has used Neptune anti-ship missiles to sink Moscow’s battleships,” He said. “Asymmetric weapon systems will allow us to maintain our combat capabilities. That is because if our enemies want to destroy them, they will need to get closer to us, which makes them vulnerable to our attack.”

“If we can establish good enough asymmetrical capability, I believe China won’t be able to take over Taiwan by force, even without United States’ intervention,” He added.

Then, US maintains close unofficial ties with TaiwanThe ‘and is bound by The law allows the sale of arms for self-defense to the Island. However, the language is deliberately vague as to whether the Government would act in case of an invasion by the Chinese. invasionA policy called “strategic ambiguity.”

Under this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, passed by You can also find out more about the following: US Congress and sign by US Joe Biden is the President of the United States. Taiwan Up to $1 Billion in funding is available to eligible applicants weapons The United States has munitions to counter China’s growing military threat.

Act also permits the Pentagon’s creation of regional contingency stocks, allowing it to store weapons The following are some examples of how to use Taiwan For use in the event of a war with China arises.

A spokesperson at The Sunday Review responded to this article by saying that they are not responsible for the content of The Sunday Review. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed it is in discussions with United States definition of a “contingency”The types of munition which can be used immediately by Its armed forces and timeline for shipping items.

According to the ministry, this move was made only in order to meet Taiwan’s defensive needs, as opposed to “pre-stocking” Munitions on the Island

It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. US Indo-Pacific Command did not provide any details regarding the current status of negotiations on the creation of a stockpile. However, it said that the command would continue its efforts to create the arsenal. Taiwan Maintaining a self-defense capacity that is sufficient.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry told The Sunday Review that it “resolutely opposes” There are no military exchanges taking place between the United States TaiwanBeijing has announced that it will be taking a stance against the United States. “all necessary measures” It is important to protect its national security and sovereignty.

Lin Ying Yu an Assistant professor of Tamkang University, who is a specialist in military affairs said that in order to create a stockpile for contingencies, one should concentrate on collecting munitions in current use. by Taiwan’s military to ensure operational effectiveness.

“I think some of the weapons that the US might be willing to provide include the Stinger and the Patriot missiles,” He said. Stinger, a surface to air missile can be fired by The Patriot missile defence system can intercept enemy aircraft and missiles with a single soldier.

Admiral Lee has said that another weapon is being developed. could The Javelin was a stockpiled weapon. USThe portable anti-tank weapons system has been used widely. by The Ukrainian military will target Russian tanks

NASAMS stands for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. could AIM-120 AIM-120 Medium-Range Missiles can also be launched from the ground, said the official.

Another way to get in touch with us weapons that should be considered included the loitering munition drone – a so-called “suicide drone” What can be carried by a single soldier and is capable of destroying high-value targets – as well as other anti-armor and anti-ship weaponry, he added.

“If you have a high enough number of these kinds of asymmetrical weapon systems that survive the initial attack, you can keep most of your fighting capabilities intact and stop the enemy from conducting a landing operation,” Lee said.

How many people can you fit into a car? weapons The missile is a weapon that can be used to target or destroy targets Taiwan It is important to protect yourself from China.

The experts said it was hard to give a specific number because there are so many possible scenarios.

In his book Admiral Lee writes that the Chinese military could In order to achieve the desired results, you can use a variety of options. Taiwan Under its control

You can also find out more about the following: an all-out war, China could Before sending its troops to the mainland, Taiwan should first fire missiles that can reach long distances and destroy military infrastructure. Taiwan Strait.

Alternative scenarios with Limiting military actions could Included an Aerial and Naval Blockade Around TaiwanOr the seizure Taiwan’s small outlying islands that are close to the Chinese coast.

Lin suggested a number of missiles. Taiwan The list of likely requirements would include: “tens of thousands.”

He gave a relatively easy way to calculate the number of required missiles Calculating the number and type of offensive military assets is an important part by The enemy and its effectiveness Taiwan’s defensive weapons. “For example, if our enemy has 1,000 missiles and we have a success rate of 25%, then we will need about 4,000 anti-ballistic missiles.”

You can also weapons, Taiwan’s military could The mobile radar system would be able to detect military signals and receive them from the USLin concluded. As the US Even if radars on the ground were destroyed, military personnel could still identify possible enemy targets.

“Even though the United States does not have troops on the ground in Ukraine, it has been able to tell the Ukrainian military where to fire their weapons by sending signals from its electronic warfare aircraft,” Lin said. “We need to make sure we have the necessary equipment to link with US military systems at times of war.”

Discussions could also be based on other factors with You can also find out more about the following: US Admiral Lee stressed that the concerns over a possible stockpile went far beyond issues such as storing spare parts and ammunition.

“(Having a contingency stockpile) is very crucial, because it sends a signal to China that the United States is determined to assist in our defense,” He said.