《TAIPEI TIMES》 MND urged to rethink military structure

NEW FACTORS: DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng said the defense ministry’s current policies do not take into account technological advances or demographic changes

By Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

請繼續往下閱讀...

The Ministry of National Defense should rethink the military’s force structure and recruitment policy in light of the nation’s demographics and technological advances, a Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） lawmaker and Control Yuan member said on Sunday.

The number of Taiwanese between the ages of 15 and 64 has been declining since 2015, the National Development Council said last year in its report Population Projection for the Republic of China （Taiwan）: 2016-2065.

This age group, which totaled 171.1 million last year, would fall to 151.2 million in 2030, a projected decline of 11.4 percent, it said.

The restructuring of the armed forces is being conducted according to plans made before the move to an all-volunteer force and before the impact of new technology could be fully assessed, DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng （羅致政） said.

“This is not a suggestion for the military to downsize, but the responsible agencies should investigate the national security impact of demographical changes. This should happen as soon as possible,” he said.

Armed forces personnel currently number 215,000, including 188,000 in field units, with volunteers accounting for 82.86 percent of personnel and 77 percent of company-grade officers in field units, while the 169,000 volunteers expected to serve next year would boost the figure to nearly 90 percent of personnel in field units, the ministry said.

However, Control Yuan member Bau Tzong-ho （包宗和） said the military has lowered recruitment standards to meet enlistment goals when it should have been paying as much attention to quality as quantity.

“As warfare becomes ever more technological, the demand for quality troops would only increase,” he said.

South Korea and Israel, which, like Taiwan, are under military threat from powerful neighbors, continue to utilize conscription with long terms of service, he said, adding that the adequacy of the size of the nation’s military reserve is “an open question.”

While he does not recommend a return to conscription, the government should evaluate the advantages of various recruitment systems and seriously consider making military service mandatory, he said.

“Most importantly, the military’s overall effectiveness should be strengthened via improving asymmetric warfare capabilities, fighting spirit, reserve reactivation, and elevating the soldier’s social status and military honor,” Bau said.

The ministry said the current size of the armed forces is sufficient for war and disaster relief, while the force structure is dictated by mission and capability.

“The military continues to use innovative and asymmetric ideas to guide the integration and distribution of resources across the three branches of service and the force structure to meet conditions of the future battlefield,” it said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES