A prominent US military academic advised Taiwan on Thursday to develop its own submarines instead of seeking to buy diesel-powered submarines offered by US President George W. Bush in 2001.
Bernard Cole, a professor at the National War College in Washing-ton, made his comments to Taiwan reporters after a speech in which he advised the Legislative Yuan to drop its debate on the purchase of three advanced weapons systems offered by the US, and instead pay more attention to the "mundane" military needs that will help deter any Chinese military attack on Taiwan.
"I would encourage Taiwan to begin an indigenous program to begin producing conventional-powered submarines," Cole told the reporters.
"Given the advanced state of Taiwan's electronics industry and its shipbuilding industry, I find it hard to believe that over the course of eight to ten years that Taiwan cannot produce an operational submarine."
"Many elements would have to be imported, such as periscopes and battery technology, but I believe that technology is available on world markets," he said.
In his speech, before a Brookings Institute luncheon arranged by former American Institute in Taiwan chairman Richard Bush on Taiwan's defense posture, Cole argued that "there has been a misfocus on Taiwan's defense efforts, certainly in this country, on the three big items that President Bush allowed for sale in 2001."
"None of these has been purchased and perhaps none of them should be," Cole told an audience that included US and Taiwan officials, think tank scholars and journalists.
Cole's statements appeared to be at odds with the Bush administration, especially the Pentagon, which has strongly pressured Taipei over the years to approve the three items and which has gone as far as warning that overall US-Taiwan relations could hinge on the Legislative Yuan's decisions on the systems.
The three weapons systems are diesel submarines, PC-3 anti-submarine aircraft and PAC III anti-missile batteries, which until recently comprised the so-called special defense budget.
"The defense debate about Taiwan in this country, and I suspect to a good degree in Taiwan, is too easily focused on these special budget items, rather than focusing on increasing the regular defense budget'" said Cole, who recently published a book entitled, Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects.
Many of the military officers he spoke with over the years, Cole said, "understand that very clearly and are frustrated by some of the budget problems they are experiencing."
He said these officers want such "mundane" things as money to buy fuel for ships, funds for more aircraft flying hours or money for ammunition for artillery training.
Afterwards, in a short interview with the Taipei Times, Cole said he was not criticizing the Bush administration.
"I believe that the US defense department has the best interests at heart. I believe they're focused on special items because the President of the United States made them available to Taiwan, and to a large extent they represent the most advanced capabilities in their respective fields," he said.
The US, he added, would also like to see Taiwan increase its overall defense budget to assure that both advanced and mundane items are purchased.
He said he would advise the Legislative Yuan to "insure that the appropriate budget increase occurred in items that contribute to the most immediate military readiness, without a categorical look at the advanced US-offered weapon systems."
If he had to set priorities among the three systems, Cole said, he would place the greatest priority on the PC-3 patrol aircraft, and the least priority on the diesel-powered submarines, because "it's going to be so difficult to get them."
In his speech, Cole also raised doubts about the willingness of the US to come to Taiwan's aid in the event of hostile Chinese action.
In the case of an overt Chinese invasion, he said, "I think any American president would find it very difficult to stand up in front of the cameras and say, `No. Good luck Taiwan. We're not going to help you.'"
But if China took lesser actions, "there is a range of other military options that would make it very difficult for a president to intervene," he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at