Military to strengthen anti-nuclear capability
ROC Central News Agency
2011/03/23 17:40:27
Taipei, March 23 (CNA) The military will improve the training and equipment of its chemical warfare corps in an effort to strengthen its ability to cope with nuclear disasters, Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu said Wednesday amid increased concern over nuclear safety following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiich nuclear power plant.
The military will also reconsider a plan to reduce the size of the chemical warfare corps, which currently has more than 3,000 personnel, Kao said at a hearing held by the Legislative Yuan's Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
In line with the government's goal of building a more streamlined fighting force, the military is planning to gradually decrease its personnel from 270,000 to 215,000, according to Kao.
Under the plan, the chemical warfare corps could be downsized by 30 percent.
However, now that nuclear safety has become a prominent issue, the minister said, the military will refer to Japan's experience in tackling the nuclear disaster when considering the downsizing plan.
With the corps equipped with only around 100 sets of biological warfare gear at present, an increase in the amount of equipment is also needed, he said. (By Kelven Huang and Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/J
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