Ministry of National Defense - Taiwan Intelligence & Security ...

The current defense minister is Chiang Chung-ling . Within the Ministry of National Defense is the General Staff Headquarters (GSH), under which are the various ... FAS| Intelligence| WorldAgencies| Taiwan||||| Index| Search| MinistryofNationalDefense Article36oftheROCConstitutionstipulatesthatthepresidentoftherepublic"shallhavesupremecommandoftheland,seaandairforcesofthewholecountry,"andArticle3oftheOrganicLawoftheExecutiveYuanstatesthat"theExecutiveYuanshallestablish(amongothers)aMinistryofNationalDefense."AccordingtotheOrganizationLawoftheMND,theministryshallbeinchargeofthedefenseaffairsofthewholecountry,andtheministershallbeacivilian.ThecurrentdefenseministerisChiangChung-ling. WithintheMinistryofNationalDefenseistheGeneralStaffHeadquarters(GSH),underwhicharethevariousservices,includingtheArmy,Navy,AirForce,CombinedServicesForces,ArmedForcesReserveCommand/CoastGuardCommand,andMilitaryPoliceCommand.Inchargeofmilitaryaffairs,theGSHisheadedbyachiefofthegeneralstaff,whoacts,inthemilitarycommandsystem,aschiefofstafftothepresidentforoperationalmatters;whileintheadministrativesystem,heservesaschiefofstafftotheministerofnationaldefense.ThecurrentchiefofthegeneralstaffisGeneralLoPen-li. TheMinistryofNationalDefenseisresponsibleforformulatingmilitarystrategy,settingmilitarypersonnelpolicies,devisingdraftandmobilizationplans,delineatingsupplydistributionpolicies,arrangingfortheresearchanddevelopmentofmilitarytechnology,compilingdataforthenationaldefensebudget,settingmilitaryregulations,conductingcourtmartialproceedingsandadministeringmilitarylaw.TheministryitselfhasaMinister'sOffice;DepartmentsofManpower,Materials,andLaw;aBureauoftheComptroller,andtheJudgeAdvocatesBureau. GeneralStaffHeadquarters,MND Inchargeoftheplanningandsupervisionofjointwaractivities,politicalwarfare,personnel,militaryintelligence,operations,educationandtraining,logistics,organizationandequipmentcalibration,communications,militaryarchivesmanagement,andmedicalservices,theGeneralStaffHeadquarters,MNDcontainstheOfficeoftheChiefoftheGeneralStaff;theDepartmentofSupervisionandInspection;theGeneralPoliticalWarfareDepartment;OfficesoftheDeputyChiefsoftheGeneralStaffforPersonnel,Intelligence,Operations,Logistics,andPlanning;theBureauofCommunicationsandElectronics;theMilitaryHistoryandTranslationBureau;theMilitaryMedicalBureau;andtheGeneralAffairsBureau. CombinedServicesForceGeneralHeadquarters TheCombinedServicesForceGeneralHeadquartersisinchargeofordinance,militarymaps,andcommunicationequipmentfortheROCArmedForces.ItalsoprovidessupportandservicescommonlyneededbyallArmedForcesservices,suchasfinance,surveying,engineering,rearechelonadministration,purchaseandprocurement,andarmamentappraisalandtesting. ArmedForcesReserveCommand ShortlyaftertheROCgovernmentannouncedtheliftingoftheEmergencyDecreeandtheterminationofthePeriodofNationalMobilizationforSuppressionoftheCommunistRebellion,theTaiwanGarrisonGeneralHeadquarters(TGGH)wasdeactivated,andtwonewcommandswerecreatedtoassumepartialresponsibilityfortasksformerlyperformedbytheTGGH:theArmedForcesReserveCommand(AFRC),whichismainlyinchargeofreservistmanagementandmobilizationaffairs;andtheCoastGuardCommand(CGC),responsibleformattersofcoastalsecurity. ManpowerStructure ApersonintheROCmilitarymaybeanofficer,anoncommissionedofficer(NCO),oranenlistedman.Hemaybeservingoneitheravolunteeroraconscriptbasis,andmaybeonactivedutyorreservestatus. Officers OfficersintheROCmilitarygenerallycomefromthreebackgrounds.Theymightbegraduatesofmilitaryacademieswhobecomecareerofficers,graduatesofdifferentspecializedmilitaryschoolswhoserveshortertermsofduty,orcollegegraduateswhohavepassedawrittentesttobecomereserveofficers. Approximately15percentoftheofficerscommissionedeachyeararegraduatesfromdifferentmilitaryacademies;another45percentaregraduatesofspecializedmilitaryschools;andtheremaining40percentarereserveofficers. TheratioofofficerstoNCOsiscurrently1:2.4,whilethattoenlistedmenis1:2.6.Thus,theratioofofficerstosoldiersasawholeintheROCArmedForcesisaround1:5,whichisclosetothe1:6ratiooftheUSArmedForces,andalmostequalsthatoftheJapaneseSelf-DefenseForce(1:4.98). NoncommissionedOfficers NCOsconstitutethebackboneofbasicunitsoftheArmedForces,andareincreasinglydependedupontotraintroopsanddeveloptheircombatperformance.Inrecentyears,however,mostseniorNCOshaveretired,leavingthecurrentproportionofcareerNCOstoolowandthepercentageofNCOreservistsinservicetoohigh.Reservistsareonactivedutyforaverylimitedperiodoftime,makingitdifficultforthemtokeepupwithchangesintheoperationandmaintenanceofever-moresophisticatedweaponsandequipment.SolutionstothisproblemlieinreconfiguringtheNCOorganizationalstructureandrecruitingnewNCOs. Conscripts TheMilitaryServiceLawoftheROCstipulatesthatallmalesintheRepublicofChinashallfulfillmilitaryservice.Article3ofthelawstates:"MalepersonsshallbeliableformilitaryserviceonJanuary1oftheyearimmediatelyfollowingtheyearduringwhichtheyreachtheageof18,andshallnolongerbedraftedforservicebeginningonDecember31oftheyearduringwhichtheyreachtheageof45."Citizenswhohavebeensentencedtoimprisonmentforlongerthansevenyearsareprohibitedfromenteringthemilitary. UndertheMilitaryServiceLaw,militaryconscriptionisadministeredjointlybytheMinistryofNationalDefenseandtheMinistryoftheInterior.Theformerisresponsibleforsecuringanadequatenumberofconscriptsandtrainingthem,whilethelatterdeterminesthesourcesoftheconscriptsandensurestheirrightsandbenefits.Generally,conscriptsundergoaminimumoftwomonthsofbasictrainingbeforereceivingtheir22-monthunitassignments. Maleseniorhigh,vocationalhigh,andcollegestudentswhosestudieswouldbeinterruptedbymilitaryconscriptioncandefertheirinductionuntilaftergraduation.Studentswhoareadmittedtoauniversityorcollegeundergotwomonthsofbasictraininginthesummerbeforetheirfreshmanyear.Upongraduation,theyre-enterthemilitarytofulfilltheremainderoftheirtwo-yearcommitment. Youngmeninpoorhealthareexemptfrommilitaryconscription.ThoseinaveragehealthmayserveintheNationalGuard.Drafteesfromimpoverishedfamiliesmayapplyforserviceinthisunit,givingthemreservestatusandallowingthemtostaywiththeirfamilies.Inaddition,theonlysonofparentswhoareoverseventymayalsoapplyforNationalGuardservicetofulfillhismilitaryobligation. MilitaryMobilization TheROCdefensestrategycallsformaintainingaminimumforceinpeacetimeandmobilizingalargenumberoftroopsintheeventofwar.Thereservistsystemplaysakeyroleinsuchapolicybyfacilitatinginstantaneousmobilizationandinstantcombatreadiness.Atpresent,registeredreservistsintheROCamounttoabout3.8millionpersons,ormorethan18percentofthegeneralpopulation.Afteramanisdischargedfromactiveduty,hemustreporttohislocalmilitaryreserveunit,asubunitundertheArmedForcesReserveCommand.Reservistsareorganizedintodifferentunitsaccordingtotheirmilitaryoccupationalspecialty(MOS).Sinceaprolongedmobilizationrecallmightadverselyaffectboththelivelihoodofareservistandtheoveralleconomicdevelopmentofthecountry,annualreservisttrainingisusuallyconductedthroughrecalls.AnMOSrefreshertrainingcourseisconducted,andeachreservistisnotifiedofhisunitcombatmissionandrelativelocation. DefenseR&D Researchanddevelopmentofnationaldefensetechnologyisoftenindirectproportiontothedegreeofanation'sindustrialization.WhiletheROCindustrialsectorhasmadeconsiderableprogressoverthepastdecade,mostofithasinfactbeenconfinedtomachiningcomponentsandlightmanufacturing.TheMNDhaslongmadeuseoftheNationalDefenseIndustrialDevelopmentFundtoassistpublicandprivateenterprisesincultivatingqualifiedtechnicalpersonnelandpurchasingfacilities,transferringadvancedtechnology,anddevelopingamoresophisticatedproductionbasethatonedaypromisesafullyself-reliantdefenseindustry.TheMNDhasissuedtheDefenseScienceandTechnologyDevelopmentPlantostrengthencooperationbetweentheacademicandindustrialsectors,andhas,alongwithseveralcabinet-levelinstitutionssuchastheNationalScienceCouncil,theMinistryofEducation,andtheMinistryofEconomicAffairs,setuptheExecutiveCommitteefortheDevelopmentofDefenseScienceandTechnology(ECDDST).Withitstwosubdivisions,theAcademicCooperationGroupandtheIndustrialCooperationGroup,theECDDSTtapsacademicresourcesforresearchingdefensetechnologyandmakesuseoftheindustrialsectortodevelopandmanufactureweaponryandarmaments. ChungshanInstituteofScienceandTechnology Astheleadinginstitutionfortheresearch,development,anddesignofdefensetechnologyintheROC,theChungshanInstituteofScienceandTechnology(CIST)containssome6,000scientistsandmorethan8,000technicians. WithitsheadquartersinLungt'an,TaoyuanCounty,theCISThasfacilitiesstretchingovernearly6,000acresscatteredthroughoutTaiwan,andisdividedintofourmajorresearchdivisions:aeronautics,missilesandrockets,electronics,andchemistry.TheCISThassixcentersforsystemsdevelopment,systemsmaintenance,qualityassurance,materialsR&D,aeronauticdevelopment,andmissilemanufacturing.Eachresearchdivisionorresearchcenterhasadirectorinchargeoftheresearchanddevelopmentofitsspecialty,whileplanningunitshaveprojectchairmenresponsibleforR&Dprogrammanagementandsystemintegration.TheCISTjointlyconductsindependentresearchanddevelopmentofweaponsystemswiththeAeroIndustryDevelopmentCenter,whichisnowunderCISTsupervision;somemanufacturingunitsoftheCombinedServicesForce;academicinstitutions;andpublicandcivilianindustries. Todate,anumberofweaponsystemshavebeendomesticallydesigned,tested,andproducedonamassscalebytheCIST.TheseincludetheKung-feng6Arocket,theHsiung-fengIandHsiung-fengIISAMs,artilleryfirecontrolsystems,navalsonarsystems,navalelectronicwarfaresystems,andtheTzu-chiangtraineraircraft.TheCISThasproducedorplanstoproduceTien-kungIandTien-kungIISAMs,andTien-chienAAMs.TheinstituteisalsodevelopingtheTien-chienIIAAMsystem.Todate,thefirstsquadronof20prototypeIDFfightershasbeencompletedandturnedovertotheROCAirForce. AproposaltoprivatizetheAeroIndustryDevelopmentCenterwasapprovedbytheLegislatureonMay16,1995.Thisconversionfrommilitarytoprivatestatus,underthesupervisionoftheMinistryofEconomicAffairs,isintendedtofacilitatethetransferofROCmilitaryaeronauticknow-howtotheprivatesectorwhileenablingthecentertoformjointventureswithhigh-techforeignmanufacturers.ThisinturnisexpectedtobringadvancedaviationtechnologyintoTaiwantoacceleratethegrowthofthenation'saerospaceindustry.Aperiodofthree-and-a-halfyearshasbeengrantedtothecentertocarryoutfullprivatization. SourcesandResources MinistryofNationalDefenseOfficialHomepage TaiwanDIVERSIFICATIONANDDEFENSETRADEOPPSUSDepartmentofCommerce-NationalTradeDataBank,June22,2000 FAS| Intelligence| WorldAgencies| Taiwan||||| Index| Search| http://www.fas.org/irp/world/taiwam/mnd.htm CreatedbyJohnPike MaintainedbyStevenAftergood UpdatedFriday,September15,20001:46:44PM