Taiwan carries out joint air defense exercise
Mar. 26, 2024 11:44
National Guard started training at some point before spring 2022
Jan. 20, 2023 15:39
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Taiwanese soldiers. (Reuters photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The United States is providing military training for Taiwan’s armed forces through its National Guard, Nikkei reported.
The National Guard, a state-based U.S. military force, started training the Taiwanese military at some point before spring 2022, sources told Nikkei. During a May 2022 visit by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, President Tsai ing-wen (蔡英文) said the Pentagon was planning for training between the National Guard and Taiwan military.
Sources involved in the defense cooperation told Nikkei that training started before Tsai’s comment. National Guards from several states have trained Taiwan's armed forces in Taiwan and the U.S., including a unit from Hawaii, the report noted.
The National Guard trains the militaries of 95 countries around the world, primarily through its State Partnership Program (SPP). Training through the SPP is tailored to the needs of each country, which can include infantry tactics, aviation operations, cyber defense, disaster response, counter-terrorism, and medical support.
Typically, one state’s National Guard will train one country, but training for Taiwan is “different than the SPP since Taiwan is working with multiple states,” one source told Nikkei. “With the SPP, most countries are only working with one specific state. Taiwan has more training options than the SPP.”
“We don’t have a comment on specific operations, engagements or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” a Pentagon spokesperson told Nikkei. “Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.”
The expansion of military training reflects Washington’s increasing concern about a potential conflict in Taiwan. It also comes amid ramped-up Chinese military activity directed at Taiwan in the form of near daily intrusions into the country’s air defense identification zone and increasingly frequent large-scale People’s Liberation Army military exercises.
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