by Martin Haffner Associate Editor
STRATEGIC SHIFT: While the US has a history of sending military instructors and special operations teams to Taiwan, it is the first time it has officially announced such a mission
Taiwan and the US have signed a two-year specialized training program for the local navy, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, in an unexpected announcement confirming US training.
The US has a history of stationing military instructors and special operations teams in Taiwan to quietly assist with training, but details have been classified.
On Jan. 2, the ministry’s military delegation to the US signed an agreement with the American Institute in Taiwan, an announcement from the ministry showed.
The agreement states that the US government would send personnel to Taiwan to conduct a two-year specialized naval training program with a budget of NT$49,887,240 (US$1,515,132).
The training program would take place at Kaohsiung’s Zuoying (左營), the headquarters of the navy and marine corps.
The program is likely related to amphibious combat training with the amphibious naval fleet and marine corps.
Although the budget is not high, it is the first time a “specialized training program” with the US has been officially announced, a military source said on condition of anonymity.
The US has changed its low-key and confidential training approach to a semi-public approach, testing political and public reactions, the source said.
The two nations had previously implemented a training regime in which the US military instructed Taiwan’s amphibious naval fleet and marine corps on joint operations.
However, the project was interrupted when official relations between the US and Taiwan were severed, until 2017 when small-scale exchanges resumed.
In recent years, the marine corps has been sending troops to the US and Guam to receive military training, military reports said.
Washington has also sent senior instructors and small units to Taiwan to provide combat training assistance, but no public confirmations have been made until now.
