Lessons of Apache debacle
While the name of the AH-64E Apache might conceivably stand for “A Powerful Attack-Combat Helicopter Engine,” in Taiwan, it has all of a sudden turned into “A Place Amusing Corruptive Highly Entertaining.” No wonder Wang Hongguang (王洪光), the former deputy commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Nanjing Military District, teased on Friday on huanqiu.com that all of the Taiwanese army’s imported or self-developed equipment in recent years is just for entertainment.
On March 29, showbiz personality Janet Lee (李蒨蓉) joined a group of rich housewives on a tour of a military base, and sat in the cockpit of an Apache attack helicopter. Lee later uploaded pictures from her tour on her Facebook account, which was noticed on April 2. One of the photographs shows her sitting at the controls of an Apache, with the instrument panel clearly visible. Another picture shows her husband wearing a pilot’s helmet inside the cockpit.
Lee’s first response to public condemnation was that she was not at fault, because she was taken on the tour and given verbal permission to take pictures and post them on social media. Well, the controversy is this: The Apache is a piece of high-tech military equipment that is supposed to be kept in a restricted area for security. This area was opened up to civilians with their foreign domestic workers and pictures of the instrument panel published on Facebook. My goodness, does this military base have any sense of security?
Taiwan is the first and only operator of AH-64Es outside of the US. The Apaches are housed and maintained at the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade’s base, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成). Lao was trained in the US before being assigned as the keeper of the Apaches; he should know and follow the security rules.
Is it legal to provide a private tour of a military base to family members and others? Yes, it is legal if the tour has proper authorization and clear instructions on what can and cannot be done during the visit.
In 1970, I took my class of English students from Jia Yang High School to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base to see a C-130 transport aircraft. All the pictures were taken by a press officer and released to us after the visit.
Did Lao violate any laws in hosting the tour that included Janet Lee? Of course Lao violated laws and regulations in allowing visitors to take pictures of the instrument panel and upload them to social media. Now he is under investigation for alleged breaches of security at the base. Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said the security breach could have repercussions to the Taiwan-US relationship and future arms sales.
On Thursday, Lao’s father, a retired high-ranking army official, bowed at a news conference to apologize to the Taiwanese public and the military for his son’s naivete for creating unease about security and damaging the armed forces’ reputation.
On July 4, 2013, army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) was punished and tortured to death just because he brought a camera-equipped cellphone onto his base without permission. Lee was allowed to take whatever pictures she liked and post them on Facebook. What a double standard. It is a very serious issue of national security and typical of the double standards shown by Taiwanese authorities.
Under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, everyone from the commander-in-chief to retired high-ranking military officers are all eager for Chinese attention. Ma has always dreamed of meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平); former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) sang the Chinese national anthem in China; retired high-ranking military officers said Taiwan’s army and the PLA are China’s army; and Lao is a trained Apache pilot, but he wore a helmet as part of a Halloween party costume.
However, China dreams of swallowing up Taiwan. Now, even an army pilot has carelessly disclosed a top secret instrument panel to the public. Taiwan is our home, now its national security is seriously at risk. Let us get in line, join hands, closely watch out for it and defend it.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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