Taiwan Urged to Hide Military Assets for Protection
The Taiwanese military should begin hiding its assets to protect them from destruction, a senior defense consultant has suggested.
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How is Taiwan planning to prepare for any future potential military conflicts with China?
Chen Wen-Jia, who works with the Institute for National Policy Research, said the country's weapons and equipment should only be deployed to the field in the event of a conflict.
He further stated that Taipei would likely be targeted by Chinese precision missiles, making its military assets vulnerable to destruction before they had a chance to be deployed.
For the army, strategic locations to hide assets include mountains, bridges, culverts, and underground facilities.
The navy could also make use of civilian ships to store ammunition, according to Chen.
For the air force, hangars carved into the mountains in the eastern part of the country could be used to hide fighter jets.
Another suggestion is to fly Taiwanese aircraft to the neighboring Philippines to protect them.
In a report to Taiwan's legislative body last month, defense minister Chiu Kuo-Cheng explained that all military units must preserve their combat capabilities in case a war with China breaks out.
He claimed that there would be "no front or rear" in the potential invasion, so the island nation must prepare on all sides.
Taiwanese authorities are aware of Beijing's increasing investments in sophisticated weapons, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned platforms.
Suggestions have surfaced about Taipei procuring the US-made Patriot air defense system after seeing its effectiveness in intercepting Russian missiles.
However, the cost of the system is a major concern for the developing nation.
Instead, military experts have urged Taiwan to build reinforced structures at least 100 meters (328 feet) underground in mountainous areas.