Taiwan’s armed forces engaged in the annual Han Kuang (Han Glory) wargames September 7-11, which simulated an invasion by Chinese forces and are intended to test the nation’s combat capabilities and the effectiveness of its military mobilization. Supervised by President Ma Ying-jeou, the wargames involved thousands of troops and advanced military equipment engaging in complex…
For the second time, the Ma Ying-jeou administration’s plans for an all-volunteer armed forces have been delayed as the military has once more failed to meet its recruitment needs. Originally planned for 2014, the push for an all-volunteer force was postponed to January 1, 2016. Last month the Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that…
With constrained budgets and few allies, Taiwan struggles to acquire the weapons it wants and needs for self-defense. Matching – or even coming close to matching – China in defense spending is clearly not an option for Taiwan. But as noted in the paper “Taiwan’s Defense Spending: The Security Consequences of Choosing Butter Over Guns,”…
Taiwan is attempting to shift from a conscript military to a volunteer, professional military in a very short time frame. Can the army recruit enough personnel to maintain a credible defense? In 1973, when United States began its transition from a conscript army to an all-volunteer force, no one was sure whether the move would…
Despite improved cross-Strait relations, China is continuing massive spending to build up its military capability, with Taiwan remaining prominently in the PLA’s crosshairs. Can advanced weapons procurement and the implementation of “asymmetrical strategies” enable Taiwan to meet the challenge of providing sufficient defensive strength? On the face of it, Taiwan’s chances of prevailing in an…
