Military

Military Image Suggests Taiwan Hasn’t Accounted for PLA Reforms

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By Fuhua Hung/Alan Lu

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Despite Taiwan’s push to modernize its military, a recent image indicates it could still be relying on outdated strategies by not factoring in reforms within China's People's Liberation Army.

Taiwan Showcases New Ching Feng Attack Drone Amid Military Pressure

 

REPORTER:  

A drone lifts off, showing off its agility in flight.

 

REPORTER:  

This is Taiwan’s latest Ching Feng attack drone, a domestically developed weapon on display at a recent defense exhibition. It’s designed for high-speed strikes, delivering precision attacks and effectively disrupting enemy operations.

 

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It reflects Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to meet the demands of modern warfare amid growing military pressure from China.

 

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But this January, Taiwan held live-fire drills to show the public the military’s defense readiness over the Lunar New Year.

 

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But an image released by Taiwan’s official Military News Agency suggests they may still be relying on outdated concepts to counter a modernized People’s Liberation Army, China’s armed forces.

 

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Joseph Wen, a PLA intelligence analyst who first raised the issue on social media, says that China reorganized its motorized infantry regiments into combined-arms brigades back in 2013, but Taiwan’s military continues to base its operational planning on the PLA’s structure prior to its reforms.

 

Joseph Wen (PLA intelligence analyst):  

If we’re still using pre-reform organizational intelligence to assess the enemy, this could lead to errors in our evaluations.

 

REPORTER:  

Taiwan’s defense ministry has acknowledged the need for further improvements.

 

Taiwan Defense Ministry:  

Regarding the war-gaming exercise conducted by the 542nd Armored Brigade which mistakenly used an outdated PLA organizational chart, all units have been instructed to base their planning revisions and training exercises on the officially issued intelligence data. Continuous efforts will be made to strengthen intelligence education and combat readiness measures.

 

REPORTER:  

So, what’s the difference between a motorized infantry and a combined brigade?

 

REPORTER:  

A motorized infantry regiment has a simple structure—consisting mainly of infantry. But a modernized combined brigade combines multiple units and branches such as reconnaissance, air defense and artillery battalions, giving it greater operational capabilities.

 

Joseph Wen (PLA intelligence analyst):  

The difference between a light combined-arms brigade and a motorized infantry regiment is firstly that the brigade’s organizational structure is larger than that of the motorized infantry. Second, it can carry out operations involving coordination among multiple types of forces. It can independently carry out a variety of missions.

 

REPORTER:  

As Taiwan ramps up its defense through increased weapons procurement and indigenous production, intelligence is equally crucial—as a thorough understanding of the battlefield and enemy movements is essential to using those weapons effectively.

 

REPORTER:  

Fuhua Hung and Alan Lu for TaiwanPlus.