《TAIPEI TIMES》 Defense budget nears NT$373bn

WEAPONS WISHLIST: The Ministry of National Defense hopes to insert funding for 10 Sikorsky Seahawks before the Executive Yuan reviews the budget, a source said

By Lo Tien-pin, Aaron Tu and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

請繼續往下閱讀...

The Ministry of National Defense’s budget for next year might reach NT$372.6 billion （US$13.33 billion）, a 3 percent increase from this year, if approved by the Executive Yuan this week, a person familiar with the matter said.

To enhance the navy’s anti-submarine capabilities, the ministry hopes to insert a last-minute budget item — funding for Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks — before the Executive Yuan reviews the defense budget for fiscal year 2022, the person said on condition of anonymity.

The purchase of the 10 Seahawks is estimated to cost NT$27 billion, spread across an unspecified number of years, the source said, adding that the budget also includes sonar systems, electronic warfare suites, MK54 or MK50 torpedoes, anti-surface Hellfire missiles, laser-guided rockets and rotary guns.

The navy currently flies McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defenders, and the M and C variants of the Sikorsky S-70, as anti-submarine helicopters.

As its helicopter models are aging, the navy has since 2014 wanted to purchase a new model of anti-submarine helicopter, and its US counterpart highly recommended the Seahawk, the person said.

This month, US President Joe Biden’s administration authorized the sale of a US$750 million arms package to Taiwan, which has yet to be reviewed by the US Congress, but the sale would not include the Seahawk, the person said.

The US wanted the Taiwanese government to set aside money for the purchase before it would talk about the sale, as the defense ministry keeps moving the money allocated to the purchase of the Seahawks to other programs, the person added.

The US military deploys the Seahawk on anti-submarine duty and the US might be willing to push through the sale because China’s submarine fleet is a growing threat in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Shih Shun-wen （史順文） said that the ministry declined to comment on the matter as the budget has yet to be reviewed by the Executive Yuan.

The military is confident of its ability to handle any threat to the nation and hopes that members of the public will support the nation’s armed forces, Shih said.

Separately, Shih announced that the Han Kuang military exercises would take place from Sept. 13 to Sept. 17.

The drills are to focus on possible or anticipated threats posed by enemy forces, although the ministry has had to scale back the exercises and limit the number of troops due to concerns over the COVID-19 situation, he added.

The defense ministry is in close communication with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications regarding repairs to a section of Provincial Highway No. 1 in Pingtung County’s Jiadong Township （佳冬） after a crash involving a truck on Monday. Fighter jets are to conduct a series of emergency takeoffs and landings on the Jiadong section as part of the drills.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES