The military appears to be scaling up its reserves due to concern over a possible Chinese invasion in 2027, including a 25 percent increase in the Ministry of National Defense’s budget to NT$133.7 billion (US$4.33 billion) for fiscal 2023, National Policy Foundation associate research fellow Chieh Chung (揭仲) said on Friday.
Another budget item, purchases of ammunition, is to rise to NT$8 billion, just shy of a four-fold increase from fiscal 2021, showing that the military is stepping up reserves to prepare for a potential protracted campaign on Taiwan proper without foreign aid, Chieh said.
The NT$1.92 billion to purchase ammunition, including missiles for shoulder-launched anti-armor weapons, indicates that the ministry is preparing to fight on Taiwan proper, he said.
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The ministry has budgeted NT$4 billion to purchase foreign arms, with the most significant portion designated for 30mm autocannon ammunition, he said.
The military is also setting aside funds to replenish equipment for ground forces, he said.
Taiwan’s ground forces have long lacked adequate equipment, with some only existing only on paper due to a long-term lack of funding for maintenance, Chieh said.
In addition to the standard NT$600 million to replenish personal combat gear for ground forces, the army is also to spend NT$1.75 billion to augment reserves of safety and combat components, and NT$4.6 billion to improve the bullet resistance of helmets, combat vests and other personal gear, he said.
The army has also budgeted NT$790 million for repairs of reservist equipment, restocking and other projects to ameliorate a severe shortage of equipment for reservists, a move that it hopes would shorten their time to mobilization, Chieh said.
However, there is a shortage of personnel in the reservist command, and planning needs to take place to increase the number of recall drills, so it remains to be seen if the reservist command can maintain the equipment it plans to buy properly, he said.
Maintenance expenses at the Air Force Command Headquarters for planes, anti-air equipment, telecommunications, radar systems, engineering and other support equipment have increased by NT$720 million to NT$19.2 billion in fiscal 2023, Chieh said.
The air force’s expenditure for F-16 components, budgeted at NT$950 million, has increased at least fourfold compared with fiscal 2022, he said, adding that the navy’s components and maintenance expenditure has also increased by NT$1.55 billion, or 26 percent, to NT$7.45 billion.
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