Current Defense Policy

The Constitution clearly summarizes the aims of national defense:

Article 137: The national defense of the Republic of China shall have as its objective the safeguarding of national security and the preservation of world peace.

The organization of national defense shall be prescribed by law.

Article 138: The land, sea, and air forces of the whole country shall be above personal, regional, and party affiliations; shall be loyal to the state; and shall protect the people.

The National Defense Act 國防法 states in Article 2: The goal of the ROC's national defense is to utilize the nation's strength and establish a national defense military force to protect national security and safeguard world peace.

To protect national interests, realize national security objectives, and meet the challenges of the international environment, Taiwan's current defense policies focus on three fundamental objectives: preventing war, defending the homeland, and responding to terrorism and other contingencies.

Defense Budget

Expenditures on social welfare and economic development have increased as the nation has developed, leading to a decline in the portion of the central government budget spent on national defense, from 22.76 percent in 1995 to 16.08 percent in 2005. As well, a greater portion of the defense budget has come open to public scrutiny.

China persists in building up its military preparations against Taiwan. To address increasing gaps in military strength between Taiwan and China, the MND plans to raise the nation's defense spending from the current 2.4 percent of GDP to 3 percent by 2008 in order to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities.

Maximizing Effectiveness

The armed forces are guided by the maxim of "effective deterrence and resolute defense" and are to maintain control of the air and sea, conduct defensive ground operations, and maximize joint combat capabilities. Superior information and electronic capabilities are being developed to facilitate the coordination of air, sea, and ground operations to repel hostile forces.

To maximize effectiveness, Taiwan's armed forces have streamlined their organization and introduced more cost-effective measures including decentralizing organizations, shortening the chain of command, accelerating reaction time, and increasing efficiency. The Armed Forces Refining Program 國軍精實案 reduced the total number of personnel from 450,000 in 1997 to 380,000 in 2001.

In order to fully transform the personnel structure, another program, the Armed Forces Streamlining Program 國軍精進案, was initiated in 2004 in two stages. The first stage of the program focuses on "streamlining organization and upgrading joint combat capabilities." The second stage, which began in July 2005, focuses on "comprehensive transformation and upgrading deterrence capabilities." While keeping in mind the need to maintain basic combat capabilities, the armed forces have prioritized the streamlining of high-echelon, logistics, and administrative units. In addition, the armed forces will further reduce the number of command levels, accelerate the speed at which commands are relayed, and make logistics support more efficient so as to increase the effectiveness of joint operations. By the end of 2005, the program had reduced the number in uniform to 296,000. The streamlining process will continue until the end of 2008 and transform Taiwan's military into a modern fighting force numbering roughly 275,000.

After the promulgation of the National Defense Act and the revised Organizational Act of the Ministry of National Defense 國防部組織法 on March 1, 2002, Taiwan's national defense system has become democratized under the principles of "civilian leadership of the military" 文人領軍 and "streamlining of military policy and command branches" 軍政軍令一元化. The military has also become more efficient because of its appropriate division of labor between its policy, armament, and command branches 軍政、軍備、軍令專業分工. In the future, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) 國防部 will continue to review and streamline units with overlapping functions to further transform the armed forces.

Military Procurement

In addition to streamlining personnel, Taiwan is seeking to upgrade its equipment, as a smaller, better-equipped military is seen as more appropriate for the challenges Taiwan faces.

The first two of four Keelung-class 基隆級 (Kidd-class) destroyers (named Keelung 基隆 and Suao 蘇澳) purchased from the United States arrived at the Suao naval base on the northeast coast of Taiwan on December 9, 2005. The other two destroyers, named Zuoying 左營 and Magong 馬公, were transferred to Taiwan in October 2006. The addition of these destroyers to the Navy is expected to be a shot in the arm to Taiwan's ability to defend itself against China. The destroyers will form the outer periphery of the defensive fleet, while the Chenggong-class (Perry-class) 成功級, Jiyang-class (Knox-class) 濟陽級, and Kangding-class (Lafayette-class) 康定級 frigates will be deployed closer to Taiwan.

Three major items the military has requested—the PAC-3 anti-missile system, diesel-electric submarines, and fixed-wing aircraft for conducting anti-submarine warfare (ASW)—are awaiting approval by the Legislative Yuan. They are expected to elevate the armed forces' anti-blockade capability, expand deployment flexibility, and serve as a strategic deterrent.

Command Structure

Article 36 of the Constitution states that the president of the Republic "shall have supreme command of the land, sea, and air forces of the whole country." The president transmits his instructions to the minister of national defense, who then orders the chief of the general staff to execute the president's instructions.

The General Staff Headquarters (GSH) 參謀本部, the staff organization of the MND, assists the minister in commanding the armed forces and directs joint operations. The GSH is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is in charge of military affairs of the command branch and assumes the authority to command the Armed Forces following an order by the minister.

Ministry of National Defense

The Ministry of National Defense is in charge of setting defense policies, formulating military strategy, determining military personnel policies, designing conscription and mobilization plans, delineating supply distribution policies, arranging the research and development of military technology, submitting a national defense budget, setting military regulations, conducting court martial proceedings, and administering military law.

Under the ministry are the command headquarters of each of the three services and other agencies, such as military academies, military courts, prosecutorial bureaus, and jails.

General Staff Headquarters, MND

The Organizational Act of the General Staff Headquarters 國防部參謀本部組織條例 makes the GSH responsible for submitting the operational requirement proposals of military readiness programs, making recommendations on the allocation of military resources, supervising combat readiness and training, setting up the order of battle, planning and implementing combat plans, and other relevant affairs. The GSH includes the offices of Joint Operations Training and Doctrine Development 聯合作戰訓練暨準則發展室; the Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff for Personnel 人事參謀次長室, Intelligence 情報參謀次長室, Operations and Planning 作戰及計劃參謀次長室, Logistics 後勤參謀次長室, and Communications, Electronics, and Information 通信電子資訊次長室; as well as the General Affairs Office 軍務辦公室.

Command Headquarters of Each Service

The command headquarters of the three services of the Armed Forces are under the jurisdiction of the MND. They are responsible for the basic and specialized training of subordinate military units as well as the maintenance and readiness of equipment.

Army Command Headquarters

The Army Command Headquarters 陸軍司令部 is responsible for developing and maintaining the Army's combat capabilities, as well as commanding and supervising all subordinate units and personnel. Under its command are the Army Commands 軍團司令部; Army Logistics Command 後勤司令部; Aviation and Special Forces Command 航空特戰司令部; Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command 教育訓練暨發展準則司令部; Defense Commands 防衛司令部; and other subordinate units.

Navy Command Headquarters

The Navy Command Headquarters 海軍司令部 is in charge of developing and maintaining the Navy's combat readiness, as well as commanding and supervising all of its subordinate fleets and ground units. Under its command are the Fleet Command 艦隊司令部; Marine Corps Command 陸戰隊司令部; Logistics Command 後勤司令部; Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command 教育訓練暨準則發展司令部; and other subordinate units.

Air Force Command Headquarters

The Air Force Command Headquarters 空軍司令部 is responsible for the Air Force's combat capabilities and commands and supervises all subordinate troops and units. Its units include the Combatant Command 作戰司令部; the Logistics Command 後勤司令部; the Air Defense Artillery and Garrison Command 防砲警衛司令部; the Combat Wing 作戰聯隊; the Air Force Academy 空軍軍官學校; as well as the Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command 教育訓練暨準則發展司令部.

Combined Logistics Command

The Combined Logistics Command 聯勤司令部 is responsible for acquiring ordnance, military maps, and communications equipment for the Armed Forces. It also provides support and services commonly needed by all branches of the Armed Forces, such as surveying, engineering, rear echelon administration, purchasing and procurement, and armament appraisal and testing.

Reserve Command

The Reserve Command 後備司令部 is responsible for civil defense and mobilization preparedness. Its personnel, selected from the regular forces or reserves, are organized into reserve brigades, reserve regiments, and reserve battalions subordinate, in peace time, to each Reserve Division Command and County/City Reserve Command. In wartime, the reserve forces would be expanded and be put under the command and control of the combat system.

Military Police Command

The Military Police 憲兵 guard military and certain governmental installations, enforce military law, maintain military discipline, support combat troops, and serve as supplementary police when necessary to maintain public security. The Military Police Command has four sub-command centers and one training center.

Manpower Structure

A member of the military may be an officer 軍官, a noncommissioned officer (NCO) 士官, an enlisted soldier 士兵, or someone performing substitute service 替代役男. A person in the armed forces may be serving on either a volunteer 志願役 or conscript 義務役 basis, and may be on active duty 常備役 or reserve status 預備役.

Officers

Officers are generally graduates of military academies who become career officers 正期軍官, graduates of different specialized military schools who serve shorter terms of duty 專科軍官, or college graduates who have passed a written test to become reserve officers 預官.

Approximately 15 percent of the officers commissioned each year are graduates of military academies, 65 percent are graduates of specialized military schools, and the remaining 20 percent are reserve officers.

The ratio of officers to NCOs is about 1:1.76, and that of officers to enlisted men is 1:1.96, making the ratio of officers to soldiers 1:3.72.

Noncommissioned Officers

NCOs are the backbone of the armed forces' smaller units and are required to train troops and develop their combat performance. In recent years, recruiting quality professional officers with high-tech skills to serve longer terms of duty has become more urgent because of the commissioning of a new generation of weaponry. Since 2005, NCOs have been chosen from those enlistees who have already served 18 months, and high-tech weapons units have had priority in absorbing these new NCOs.

Conscripts

The Military Service Act 兵役法 requires all healthy males to complete military service. Article 3 of the law states: "Male persons shall be liable for military service on January 1 of the year immediately following the year during which they reach the age of 18, and shall no longer be drafted for service beginning on December 31 of the year during which they reach the age of 40." Citizens who have been sentenced to imprisonment for at least five years or have served a total of three years in prison are ineligible for service.

Military conscription is administered jointly by the MND and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) 內政部. The MND is responsible for securing an adequate number of conscripts and training them, while the MOI determines the sources of the conscripts and oversees affairs regarding substitute service. In January 2006, the policy was revised such that conscripts now undergo 16 months of training. At the same time, senior high school graduates who have reached the age of 19 no longer need to wait one year before they can start their military service. The new policy will benefit 30,000 conscripts every year and facilitate their career planning.

The Implementation Act for Substitute Service 替代役實施條例 of 2000 stipulates that those who are not suitable for regular military service are allowed to perform substitute service, according to their interests or special skills. The categories for these services include domestic security (police and fire fighters), social services (in the areas of social work, environmental protection, medicine, and education), and other categories designated by the Executive Yuan, such as culture, land surveying, justice administration, diplomacy, physical education, tourism, economic security, and public administration. In 2005, about 14,000 young men did substitute service.

Male senior high school, vocational high school, and college students whose studies would be interrupted by military conscription can defer their induction until after graduation. Draftees with special family concerns as well as outstanding athletes on the national team may apply for replacement service 補充役. Those in poor health are exempt from military conscription.

The military service policy of the armed forces will move toward basing the main force on enlisted personnel, with both an enlistment system and a conscription system being used concurrently. About 6,500 enlistees signed up in 2005. In late 2005, the Legislative Yuan passed the revision of the Military Service Act to allow women to serve as enlisted personnel.

Manpower and Equipment

Ground Forces

The Army defends the country's territory and ensures the nation's sovereignty. In peacetime, its mission is centered on defending areas of strategic importance on Taiwan and offshore islands and conducting basic training to maintain its capabilities. In war, the Army conducts joint operations with the Navy and Air Force.

With 150,000 personnel, the Army is organized into combat, combat support, and service support troops in the following units:

• Army Commands
• Logistics Command
• Defense Commands
• Aviation and Special Forces Command
• Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command
• Division Commands
• Air Cavalry Brigades
• Armored Brigades
• Armored Infantry Brigades
• Motorized Rifle Brigades
• Infantry Brigades
• Special Operations Brigade

The primary weapons systems of the Army include AH-1W attack helicopters; OH-58D Kiowa helicopters; Avenger, Chaparral, and man-portable air defense missiles; M-60A3, M-41, and M-48H main battle tanks; light and medium tactical wheeled armored vehicles; M-109A-5 self-propelled howitzers; and medium-range and vehicle-mounted anti-armor missiles.

Navy

The Navy maintains control and surveillance of the waters surrounding the nation and participates in joint operations with the Army and Air Force. The Navy Command Headquarters oversees operational and land-based forces, which total 40,000 personnel. Its main operational units include the following:

• Fleet Command
• Marine Corps Command
• Logistics Command
• Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command
• Destroyer Fleet
• Frigate Fleet
• Amphibious Fleet
• Service Fleet
• Submarine Squadron
• Fast-Attack Missile Boat Force
• Land-based Missile Force
• Aviation Command
• Communication Systems Command
• Marine Corps Brigades

The primary weapons systems of the Navy include Keelung-, Kangding- (PFG-3), Jiyang-, and Chenggong- (PFG-2) class frigates; Wugin III-class destroyers; auxiliary warships such as Jinjiang-class 錦江級 PGs, Syuhai-class 旭海級 LSDs, the latest generation of PGMGs, and Newport-class LSTs; Jianlong-class (Zwaardivis-class) 劍龍級 submarines; S-2T fixed-wing ASW aircraft; and S70-C ASW helicopters.

Air Force

A fearsome addition to the arsenal of the Air Force, the Harpoon anti-ship missile is counted on to counter military threats and ensure national security. (Courtesy of the Military News Agency)

Air defense is crucial for the overall defense of the nation. At present, the Air Force has about 40,000 officers and men divided into operational and logistical support systems under the Air Force Command Headquarters. The main operational units include the following:

• Combatant Command
• Logistics Command
• Air Defense and Garrison Command
• Education, Training, and Doctrine Development Command
• Base Commands
• Combat Wings
• Air Tactical Control Wing
• Communications, Air Traffic Control and Information Wing
• Weather Forecasting Wing

The primary weapons systems of the Air Force include the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), F-16, and Mirage 2000-5 fighters; E-2T early warning aircraft; as well as AIM-7, AIM-9, AIM-120, AGM-65, AGM-84, Mica, Magic, and Sky Sword I and II air-to-air missiles (AAM), and Sky Bow and Patriot surface-to-air missiles (SAM).

Military Police

The Military Police, with 10,000 personnel, is responsible for conducting special guard, anti-terrorism, and garrison missions, and assists the police in maintaining public security, supports military operations, and carries out tasks in accordance with the law to ensure national security and social stability.

Electronic and Information Warfare Forces

The MND is actively fostering indigenous defense capabilities while integrating the efforts of the industrial, government, academic, and R&D sectors to enhance information and electronic force capabilities.

Electronic Warfare Forces

The Electronic Warfare Forces 電子戰部隊 are to attain electronic superiority and build an electromagnetic shield over the Taiwan Strait, such that the military overall can better accomplish its missions.

Information Warfare Forces

The primary missions of the Information Warfare Forces 資訊戰部隊 are to safeguard and monitor command and control systems, attain information superiority, and support combat missions. The Information and Electronic Warfare Command 資電作戰指揮部 is responsible for monitoring information security and developing defense capabilities. The headquarters of each service is responsible for protecting information security, monitoring systems under its control, and developing information warfare tactics and techniques.

Military Mobilization

Pursuant to policy guidelines of "reducing the regular forces and expanding the reserves" 精簡常備，廣儲後備, the regular forces are being continually reduced. The number of reserve forces must be increased, therefore, to sustain the normal combat capability of the Armed Forces. In order to ensure the reliability of these reserves, the MND has streamlined reserve organizations, training, and equipment so as to support military operations in accordance with the guideline of "advanced technology taking the lead, regular forces conducting strikes, and reserves defending the rear" 科技先導，常備打擊，後備守土.

Registered reservists total 3.4 million in 2005. After being discharged from active duty, all reservists must report to their local military reserve units under the Armed Forces Reserve Command. Reservists are organized into different units according to their military occupational specialty (MOS).

Reservists are mustered to receive training, and must report immediately upon being called up. An MOS refresher course is conducted, and each reservist is notified of his unit's combat mission and approximate location.

Military Education

Military education includes preparatory education, fundamental education, in-service education, and advanced education. After completing fundamental education, a career officer must receive short-term specialized training at one of the military branch schools.

Candidates for colonel (or captain) 上校 or major general (or rear admiral) 少將 must complete their advanced military education at the National Defense University 國防大學. The National Defense University, formerly the Armed Forces University 三軍大學, was integrated with the Chung Cheng Institute of Technology 中正理工學院, the National Defense Medical Center 國防醫學院, and the National Defense Management College 國防管理學院 in 2000.

The professional track trains officers at various specialized military schools, such as Fu Hsing Kang College 政治作戰學校 and the National Defense Medical Center, to become medical personnel, engineers, or technicians.

Military Academies

The ROC Military Academy 陸軍軍官學校 offers electrical engineering, civil engineering, information, physics, chemistry, and management courses. Students must complete 128 credits in four years to graduate.

Immediately following graduation, lieutenants receive further training in a branch specialty, such as infantry, armor, artillery, missiles, engineering, transportation, communications, electronics, or chemistry. They also have the option of training to become a member of the military police.

Cadets assigned to the Navy's Fleet of Friendship arrive home after having completed a voyage of over 11,700 nautical miles. (Courtesy of the Military News Agency)

The ROC Naval Academy (ROCNA) 海軍軍官學校 offers courses in marine science, applied science, marine engineering, electrical engineering, and information management. All students must complete 128 credits in four years to graduate. They also must serve an apprenticeship aboard a ship.

Just prior to graduation, all ROCNA cadets will sail abroad in the Fleet of Friendship 敦睦艦隊 for two months of shipboard training. During the voyage, future naval officers are given a chance to practice combat skills, tactics, and navigation.

The ROC Air Force Academy 空軍軍官學校 trains pilots of fighters and other combat and transport aircraft. Cadets learn aeronautics, navigation, avionics, aviation management, and related skills in the four-year program. Qualified graduates can participate in flight training courses.

Fu Hsing Kang College (FHKC), located in the Beitou 北投 district of Taipei, was established in 1951 to train political warfare officers for the Armed Forces. There are three levels of education at FHKC: basic, advanced, and graduate. The college has several undergraduate departments and three graduate schools, which offer master's and doctoral degree programs.

The National Defense Medical Center (NDMC) trains military medical specialists, providing a basic college education plus medical training in such fields as dentistry, pharmacology, nursing, and public health. It also has numerous master's and doctoral programs. The Tri-service General Hospital 三軍總醫院 is the main teaching hospital of the NDMC.

The Chung Cheng Institute of Technology conducts research on and develops weapons systems, maintains arms and equipment, and educates officers to become technicians. It has one doctoral program, six master's degree programs, and eleven undergraduate departments.

The National Defense Management College is responsible for educating the planning, decision-making, and management personnel of the Armed Forces. It has six graduate programs, and departments of accounting, statistics, business management, information management, and law.

The Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School 中正國防幹部預備學校, founded in 1976, provides senior high school education to students who wish to continue in one of the three service academies or attend FHKC following graduation. It combines a regular senior high school education with basic military training through innovative teaching methods.

The Armed Forces also operate a number of branch schools, such as the Infantry 陸軍步兵學校, Armor 陸軍裝甲兵學校, and Artillery and Missile 陸軍飛彈砲兵學校 branch schools of the Army. Also available are specialized schools, such as the Air Force Institute of Technology 空軍航空技術學院 and the Navy Technical School 海軍技術學校.

Defense R&D

National defense research and development focuses on integrating the work of both the public and the private sectors to meet the operational demands of the military. Establishing a self-reliant national defense industry is also a top priority.

To meet future operational needs, the MND will continue to concentrate on R&D in key sectors, such as information and electronic warfare as well as C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance). The MND will commission domestic scientific research institutions to develop and produce promising weapons and aviation, missile, electronic, and material technologies. In addition, the MND will seek to improve aerospace, stealth, and nano technologies. Through the program "Releasing Defense Resources to Local Industry" 國防資源釋商, the MND will promote the outsourcing of R&D on applied electronics, photonics, computer modeling, materials, systems, and maintenance.

Through the Executive Committee for the Development and Promotion of Defense Science and Technology 國防科技發展推行委員會, established jointly by the National Science Council 行政院國家科學委員會, the MND, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs 經濟部, the government has formulated a plan to develop national defense technology industries by integrating the technological capacity of the military and private sectors, and coordinating opinions, goals, strategies, and concrete measures. It is expected that such a program will enhance the development of national defense technology and facilitate the upgrading of private industry.

Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology

As Taiwan's leading institution for the research, design, and development of defense technology, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) 中山科學研究院 employs approximately 4,000 scientists and more than 5,000 technicians.

Headquartered at Longtan 龍潭 in Taoyuan County 桃園縣, CSIST facilities cover nearly 4,000 acres in various locations around Taiwan. The institute is composed of multiple research divisions such as aeronautics, mechanics, electronics, radar, information, communication, chemistry, materials, electro-optics, and quality assurance. In addition, CSIST has great capacity for large-scale system design, manufacturing, and integration, and thus has become the nation's primary scientific R&D center for defense technologies. In order to support national economic development and promote dual-use technological development and service, the institute established the CSIST Scientific Research Park 中山科學研究園區.

CSIST has engaged in R&D on a variety of advanced weapons systems, many of which have already been deployed. These include the Sky Bow I 天弓一型 and Sky Bow II 天弓二型 "multi-level" advanced SAM systems as well as Sky Sword I 天劍一型 short-range AAM- and Sky Sword II 天劍二型 medium-range AAM- equipped IDFs. Syongfong I & II 雄風一型及二型 anti-ship missiles have been deployed on Chenggong-class and Kangding-class frigates. The Thunder 2000 雷霆二○○○ multiple launch rocket system has a long range and wide impact area and is to be used in anti-landing operations.

Current R&D efforts are focused on the following projects:

• Upgrade the functions of existing tactical radar systems and develop countermeasures to imaging radars, so as to deceive and interfere with enemy radars with false images as well as to counter satellite and vehicle-mounted radar surveillance
  
  
• Establish protection systems to ensure the security of the information networks of the Armed Forces, so as to meet the operational requirements of electronic and information warfare
  
  
• Integrate the test, simulation, and evaluation systems of weapons systems, both those outsourced and those designed in-house, and create an electronic warfare test environment that supports joint operations
  
  
• Improve the hardware and software of the IDF
  
  
• Upgrade unmanned aerial vehicles to provide remote battlefield surveillance and anti-jamming capabilities

Related Websites
Ministry of National Defense：	http://www.mnd.gov.tw
Conscription Agency, Ministry of the Interior：	http://www.nca.gov.tw

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