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REGULAR BUDGET CAN PAY FOR WEAPONS IF DEFENSE SPENDING RAISED: MND

ROC Central News Agency

2006-02-07 19:59:11

    Taipei, Feb. 7 (CNA) Expenses for buying three major weaponry items from the United States can be covered in the Ministry of Defense (MND) regular budget if defense spending is raised to 3 percent of the gross national product (GDP) , as the government has tried to do, an MND official said Tuesday.

    A special budget bill to buy eight conventional submarines, 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft and six Patriot III anti-missile batteries at a cost of NT$480 billion, with NT$140 billion listed in regular budget for purchasing three anti-missile batteries, has been continually blocked in the Legislative Yuan by the opposition, which holds a slim legislative majority.

    Hu Chen-pu, chief of the ministry's General Political Warfare Bureau, said the MND plans to hold a seminar Feb. 27 at the Joint Military Exercise Center in an attempt to convince lawmakers and other participants of the "actual need" to acquire the weapons.

    Hu claimed that various war simulations have led to the conclusion that it is important to beef up Taiwan's anti-missile and anti-submarine capabilities and to increase its submarine fleet.

    According to an MND analysis, China will likely increase its ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan to 1,800 by 2010, while its current 32 conventional and nuclear submarine force will grow to 44 in 2008 and to 50 in 2015.

    If the government's budget bill to procure the three weapons systems continues to fail to clear the legislative floor, the military balance will tilt toward China "beginning this year, " according to the analysis.

    The MND continued that the number of China's new warships, which stood at 24 in 2005, will have risen to 38 by 2015, when China will also launch an aircraft carrier battle group that will likely menace Taiwan's airspace.

    It said Taiwan is badly in need of nine Patriot III anti-missile batteries, 12 anti-submarine aircraft and 10 submarines, which will force China to spend hugely on beefing up its anti-submarine capability as well as other defenses.

    On the other hand, a MND computer simulation shows that if China fires six to eight missiles at Taiwan simultaneously from different locations, the chances of the missiles destroying Taiwan's airports would be just 0.2 percent if Taiwan were equipped with three Patriot III batteries, but the chances would rise to 5 percent with the current Patriot II anti-missiles.

    Over the long term, the military balance will develop across the Taiwan Strait in favor of China, according to MND's estimates, which indicate that between 2020 and 2035, China's military might will be 2.8 times greater than that of Taiwan's.

    However, the MND claimed that if the three key weapons can be purchased, the difference will shrink to 1.67 times.

(By S.C. Chang)

ENDITEM/J