Indo-Pacific

INDO-PACIFIC Taiwan Plans Additional Forward Operations Bases for Special Forces OE Watch Commentary: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Security is apparently planning to build additional bases on the Kinmen and Penghu island groups for its 101st Recon Battalion, also known as the Sea Dragon Frogmen. Kinmen lies less than 2 kilometers from Xiamen, a major city in Fujian province. Fujian’s coastline is dotted with numerous small islands and islets, of which the Kinmen, Wuqiu and Matsu Islands (see map) are controlled by Taiwan. The Penghu Island Group lies roughly midway in the Taiwan Strait between Fujian Province and Taiwan proper. In the 1950s Kinmen was subjected to heavy bombardment by the PLA, and it and Penghu are likely to be the focal point of any future conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s 2017 Quadrennial Defense Review emphasizes “multi- domain deterrence” and asymmetric responses to China’s military buildup. The Defense White Paper issued the same year describes ROC forces as “tak[ing] advantage of favorable timing and space to strike the enemy’s center of gravity and critical weakness to disrupt their battle tempo and paralyze their capabilities for achieving partial advantage with the aim of “small taking on large, weak striking strong.” The 101st Recon Battalion has historically conducted reconnaissance and infiltration operations, and would likely be a major part of operations meant to blunt an attack by the PLA. As the accompanying article describes, these forward operating bases would Kinmen and Penghu. help speed up their ability to deploy in a crisis. Source: Graphic by Peter Wood.

Mainland China for its part has dramatically increased the size of its amphibious forces, planning to bring the Marine Corps up from two brigades to seven by 2020. Special Forces units within the PLA Ground Forces, Navy and Air Force have all been given a much higher profile over the last five years, including the “frogmen” of the PLA Navy’s Jiaolong Commandos (see “ Chinese Media Spotlight on PLA Marine Corps Jiaolong Commando Training” in this issue of OE Watch). Chinese media sources note that in addition to conventional forces, coastal militia units in Fujian are also trained to act as sentries against enemy infiltration.End OE Watch Commentary (Wood)

“The upgraded facilities and increased mobility of the Army’s frogmen units will increase Taiwan’s capabilities in waging asymmetric warfare in the event of a Chinese invasion.”

Source: “Taiwan plans new forward bases for Army Frogmen on Kinmen and Penghu,” Taiwan News, 21 April 2019. https://www. taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3685045refugees-smuggled-goods

The Taiwanese military has reportedly begun accepting bids from contractors for the development of two forward operating bases and equipment upgrades for the Taiwan Army’s 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB-101st), better known as the “Sea Dragon Frogmen” [海龍蛙兵] special forces. The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has drafted plans to upgrade special port facilities on the outlying islands of Kinmen [金門], and Penghu [澎湖], to assist in the rapid deployment of Frogman units in the Taiwan Strait. The MND is prepared to invest over NT$400 million (US$12.9 million) into the project, with NT$260 million going to the base in Kinmen, and NT$165 million for the facilities in Penghu. With China’s increasingly threatening actions around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the MND views rapid response capabilities around Taiwan’s outlying islands a top priority for national defense. UDN reports that the new forward bases planned for the ARB-101st are the result of strategic consultations with U.S. military officials. The upgraded facilities and increased mobility of the Army’s frogmen units will increase Taiwan’s capabilities in waging asymmetric warfare in the event of a Chinese invasion. In addition to potential invasion scenarios, the ARB-101st may also be employed to occasionally survey the numerous minor islands in the Taiwan Strait, which might serve as outposts for illegal activity or potential threats to national security if they are not secured. Currently, most of the speedboats and other equipment for maritime operations for the ARB-101st are stored on inland military bases and must be towed to the seashore. After the forward seaside facilities are upgraded, the frogmen will be able to deploy much faster to better safeguard Taiwan’s territory against potential threats.

OE Watch | June 2019 26