Report of Navy commander's ouster 'untrue': defense ministry
ROC Central News Agency
2013/04/22 16:28:52
Taipei, April 22 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense rebutted a report Monday that Taiwan's navy commander will be replaced due to glitches in last week's Han Kuang live-fire exercise in outlying Penghu County.
There is no change in the position of Navy Commander Adm. Tung Hsiang-lung, and 'the report is untrue,' the ministry said in a statement.
A task force has completed an investigation into an incident in which the 76mm gun on a Chingchiang-class patrol vessel failed just before it was scheduled to begin firing during the anti-landing drill in Penghu on April 17, the statement said.
The ministry is now identifying those who should be held responsible for the glitch, which was caused by a problematic sensor in the gun that caused the fuses to blow, the ministry said.
Another problem occurred during the drill, part of the annual Han Kuang series of military exercises, when a 76 mm gun on a Chengkung-class frigate stopped firing because the weapon's angle of elevation exceeded the safety limit, the ministry said.
The Navy deployed one Chengkung-class frigate and two Chingchiang-class vessels in the drill, which simulated an attack by China.
The first part of the Han Kuang exercises -- Taiwan's most important war games that involve the Army, the Air Force and the Navy -- was held April 15-19.
A second round of drills, slated for July, will consist of computer-aided war games, the ministry said.
Taiwan and China were intense rivals during the Cold War, but relations have thawed over time and ties have grown closer since 2008, when President Ma Ying-jeou came to office.
The president has warned of China's military buildup, however, and said Taiwan needed to maintain a strong defense posture.
(By Elaine Hou)
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