J Michael Cole, a Taipei-based political and military analyst, called the special budget “an encouraging and much-needed development” as Taiwan prioritises “asymmetrical” capabilities, such as unmanned vehicles, anti-ship missiles and air-to-ground cruise missiles.
“Many of those are ‘counterforce’ capabilities, with ranges that are long enough to hit targets along China’s coastline” in line with the direction Taiwan’s defence ministry has taken in recent years, said Cole, a senior fellow for Canadian think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
“This move will also be welcomed by the United States, which often complains that Taiwan focuses too much on large conventional platforms at the detriment of smaller, more dispersible and less costly ‘asymmetrical’ capabilities.”
Washington has remained a leading ally and arms supplier to Taipei despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.
The budget includes a coastal anti-ship missiles system, a locally-developed Wan Chien (Ten Thousand Swords) cruise missile as well as an attack drone system and installation of combat systems on coastguard ships.
Cole also points out the benefit of ensuring quicker delivery as many of the armaments are produced domestically.
“The latter is a crucial part, as Taiwan needs to make sure it has the capabilities to deter, and if needed to counter, a Chinese attack now, not five, 10 years from now.”
China has publicised multiple recent military drills simulating an invasion of the island.
For decades, analysts largely concurred that invading Taiwan is a challenge China could not pull it off but Beijing has dramatically closed the gap in recent years.
Source: CNA