Military to Retire Aging Equipment, Ministry Says 'Uninterrupted Combat Power, Seamless Transition'

(CNA reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, 5th) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated that, adhering to the principle of 'uninterrupted combat power and seamless transition,' it has gradually reviewed the replacement of some weapon systems that have been in service for a longer period, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, naval vessels, logistics support ships, and some air defense, radar, and communication equipment, in order to adapt to future operational environments.

The Foreign and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan invited Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo on the 8th to report on the 'Schedule for the Retirement of Aging Major Military Equipment and the Supporting Plan for Combat Power Transition' and to answer questions. The MND has sent a written report to the legislative offices of lawmakers today.

Regarding the overall plan for combat power transition, the MND mentioned that it mainly follows three principles: 'batch reception and gradual replacement,' 'parallel advancement of national defense independence and diversified procurement,' and 'building asymmetric combat power that is low-cost, high-efficiency, numerous, and has a high survival rate.'

For the Army, the MND pointed out that it plans to retire tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery that have reached the end of their service life, and procure new replacement capabilities such as the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, new tanks, self-propelled howitzers, new eight-wheeled armored vehicles, the TOW 2B anti-armor missile system, and various unmanned aerial vehicles. In the future, through drone-coordinated reconnaissance and attacks and the use of precision firepower, it will strengthen beachhead annihilation and urban纵深 overall defense capabilities.

For the Navy, the MND explained that it will continue to strengthen coastal strike and maritime patrol and escort mission capabilities. Some frigates, patrol ships, and logistics support vessels with longer service lives will be gradually retired along with the procurement of light frigates, combat ships, anti-ship missiles, mine-laying vessels, and unmanned boats (aircraft). This will be accompanied by adjustments to the force structure of ships, aviation, and marine corps. Through joint sea-air operations and mobile missile deployment, overall sea control and anti-landing combat capabilities will be strengthened.

For the Air Force, the MND stated that, with the core goal of building a highly resilient, multi-layered overall air defense capability, it will continue to replace its fleet with F-16V BLOCK70 aircraft and procure drones to strengthen air defense, early warning, and long-range reconnaissance and strike capabilities. It will continue to procure various anti-missile and air defense weapon systems such as Patriot, Sky Bow, and NASAMS, supplemented by a battle management system linking various radar sensors and launchers, to build a 'Shield of Taiwan' characterized by 'layered defense, effective interception, and high situational awareness,' thereby enhancing overall air defense capabilities.

The MND pointed out that in the future, the military will follow the principles of 'batch reception and gradual replacement' and 'dual-track transition of old and new combat power.' Through measures such as equipment renewal, independent national defense development, joint operations integration, logistics resilience building, and sustained combat capability enhancement, it will gradually complete equipment updates and combat power transformation. (Editor: Zhai Sijia) 1150605