TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has signed a two-year naval training agreement with the US.
According to an announcement on the Government e-Procurement System Friday, Taiwan's military delegation in the US has signed a "special training project" with the American Institute in Taiwan. The contract is over NT$49.88 million (US$1.5 million) and will involve US Navy personnel providing training in Kaohsiung's Zuoying District, per CNA.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), convener of the Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, told the media Friday that this special training project reflects the increasingly close cooperation between Taiwan and US. Wang said that Zuoying serves as the headquarters for the Navy and Marine Corps, highlighting that US cooperation has expanded from special forces and the Army to include the Navy.
He said that in the past, US military training of Taiwan's armed forces was conducted in secrecy and was rarely disclosed. However, Wang said the public disclosure of this project signifies that the US is now willing to make such cooperation transparent, "shifting from ambiguity to transparency."
Wang said this also sends a clear message to China that in addition to Taiwan defending itself, it has democratic allies assisting with its training. Wang urged Beijing not to misjudge the situation or act recklessly.
Wang added this is not the first time Taiwan and the US have released information about US military training of Taiwanese forces. On Dec. 30, 2022, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited Penghu to inspect live-fire exercises conducted by the Army's 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion.
The presentation board used by the military to brief Tsai and the media cited the "Taiwan-US Joint Training Outcomes Report" as the basis for the drills. In addition, a short video released in 2019 by the US Army's 1st Special Forces Group featured a Taiwanese Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.
Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌), an associate research fellow at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that the public announcement reflects a warming relationship between Taiwan and the US, eliminating the need for secrecy. Shu added that through US-led training, Taiwan's military can learn the latest concepts in modern battlefield operations.
The Navy Command told CNA this is part of an annual routine exercise, and the associated budget is being implemented under the Government Procurement Act. The Navy said it would not comment on operational training tasks per standard practice.
