DEFENSE / Taiwan official urges U.S. to help with 'T-Dome' defense network

Ellicott City, Oct. 20 (CNA) A Taiwanese defense official on Monday called for the United States to assist with Taiwan's efforts to integrate its defense and information systems under its new "T-Dome" initiative.

"(T-Dome) is a large-scale project" that aims to establish a comprehensive protection network for both military and critical infrastructure, said Chung Shu-ming (鍾樹明), deputy minister of armaments in the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

First announced by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in his National Day address this month, the "T-Dome" project envisions a layered, highly responsive defense network capable of intercepting Chinese missiles and rockets.

Currently, the MND is studying how to integrate Taiwan's existing air defense, communications, and information management systems, according to Chung.

Taiwan hopes that the U.S. will assist with that effort to enhance overall defense coordination, he told reporters on the sidelines of the 24th U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Maryland on Monday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has shown goodwill in addressing the delays in arms deliveries to Taiwan, which "are gradually being resolved," Chung said in his keynote speech at the conference.

Taiwan has provided the U.S. with a list of pending items for follow-up, and a dedicated American team is now handling the issue, he said.

Taiwan continues to raise its defense spending -- which currently exceeds 3 percent of its GDP -- to strengthen its asymmetric warfare capabilities and boost its ability to defend against Chinese threats, Chung said.

He also said it is important to enhance cooperation between the defense industries of Taiwan and the U.S. and jointly develop a "non-red supply chain" to reduce reliance on China for defense-related manufacturing.

Taiwan is expanding its domestic production capacity for unmanned and smart weapons and is inviting American firms to participate in technology transfers, co-production, and maintenance projects, Chung said.

"We firmly believe that on-island production is not only a strategic imperative but also an opportunity for industrial advancement," he said.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) also spoke at the meeting, saying that Taiwan's government plans to present a new seven-year special defense budget of NT$1.3 trillion (US$39 billion) by early November.

It will focus on four priorities -- the T-Dome initiative, asymmetric warfare capabilities, expanded strategic reserves, and greater self-sufficiency in domestic arms production, Wang said.

About 200 participants attended the annual bilateral defense industry conference this year, which gathers officials, defense industry representatives, and think tank experts from Taiwan and the U.S. and is organized by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council.