Ma lauds development of Taiwan defense equipment

2016/01/13

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said Jan. 11 that he expects Taiwan-developed defense equipment to continue playing a significant role in facilitating disaster relief operations while upholding national security.

“Emergency response and rescue are increasingly important as a core mission of the ROC military in recent years,” Ma said. “The armed forces are taking the lead in coordinating cross-sector support during disasters such as Typhoon Morakot of 2009, the Kaohsiung gas explosions of 2014 and Typhoon Soudelor of last year.

“In light of this development, we look forward to further advances in Taiwan’s homegrown military equipment R&D, thus strengthening the nation’s disaster relief capability and combat readiness.”

The president made the remarks during an inspection tour of an Armaments Bureau production facility under the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei City.

According to Ma, the U.S.-manufactured AAV7 amphibious assault vehicle is an outstanding example of a weapons system capable of meeting defensive and peacekeeping deployment requirements.

“The AAV7 is adept at maneuvering across diverse terrains and has proven invaluable to the ROC Marine Corps during operations in areas inundated by flooding or torrential rainfall,” he said. “Going forward, we want to see a similar vehicle developed domestically at a lower cost and put into service.”

In addition, the president reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing Taiwan’s defensive capabilities by stepping up overseas arms purchases and fostering greater cross-sector collaboration.

“These efforts are underscored by US$20.1 billion in arms sales from the U.S. since I took office in May 2008, more than any period over the last 20 years,” Ma said. “This is complemented with more than NT$580 billion [US$17.4 billion] of private-sector procurement for the past eight years, up 24 percent from the previous administration.

“Under this two-pronged approach to meeting the nation’s defense equipment needs, we are confident in our ability to maintain regional stability while raising Taiwan’s profile as a peacekeeper in the global community.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=241179&ctNode=2194&mp=9)