Taiwan's new military police unit equipped with Stingers and Javelins

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) A newly formed company under the 202nd Military Police Command in Taipei has been equipped with United States-made FIM-92 Stinger shoulder-fired missiles and Javelin man-portable anti-tank systems to enhance the defense of the capital city, according to an anonymous source.

The new Air Defense Company under the Military Police Command's 228 Artillery Battalion, stationed in Taipei's Shilin District, is deployed with these American air defense systems, to beef up the air defense capabilities of Taipei, the unnamed source told CNA Sunday.

Unlike many other countries, Taiwan's military police are a separate branch of the armed forces tasked with protecting government leaders from assassination or capture, guarding strategic facilities, and conducting counterintelligence against enemy infiltrators, spies and saboteurs.

Asked to comment, the Military Police Command confirmed to CNA the existence of the newly established unit, saying that the change was made as part of an ongoing structural reform of the command structure amid rising military threats, without elaborating.

Commenting on the decision, Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that he believes it is a good call for military police to be equipped with Stingers and Javelins in the new unit, which is expected to significantly enhance its counter-assault and counter-decapitation capabilities.

The Stingers would provide a higher mobility short-range air defense, while the Javelins could fend off invading Chinese fast boats from the Tamsui River, according to the scholar.

He also suggested that Taiwan learn from the U.S. and South Korea by enhancing its air defense system in the capital city.

For example, two U.S. Army National Guard units -- the 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery (Ohio National Guard) and the 263rd Air Defense Artillery (South Carolina National Guard) -- take turns defending the National Capital Region and U.S. leaders, Su said.

The units are equipped with a combination of air defense systems, including the Sentinel A4 radar and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, known as NASAMS, along with the Avenger weapon system, Su added.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, South Korea, the Mistral short-range air defense missile system and KM167A3 anti-air system are deployed within a 3.7 km radius, better known as the P-73 critical prohibited airspace, around the Presidential Office in Yongsan, the scholar said.