More mobile communication systems a must for resiliency in war: Expert

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Taiwan should invest more in expanding its fleet of Mobile Digital Communication Systems (MDCS) to make up for its vulnerable backbone network, which can be easily destroyed during war, a communications expert said Monday.

Wendell Lee (李怡德), general manager of communications equipment manufacturer Fiberlogic Communications, Inc., highlighted the lack of resiliency of the backbone network shared by Taiwan's government and military at a forum on regional security trends in Taipei.

The government and armed forces share 80 percent of the round-island backbone network, consisting of "antennas on pylons," which can be easily targeted by missiles fired from drones and would be rendered "sitting ducks" during war, Lee said.

Lee recommended using the CS/VRC-518 MCDS developed by Taiwan's state-run weapons manufacturer National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to bolster Taiwan's data transmission during war.

The MCDS, which debuted in 2015, are antennas mounted on humvees, making them highly mobile, Lee said.

They are also almost entirely immune to interference, which prevents them from being jammed by enemies, Lee said.

The NCSIST finalized the second-generation MCDS, which features a greater bandwidth, about two years ago, but a plan to produce the new systems has been put on hold after its funding was crowded out by drones, Lee said.

The Ministry of National Defense has earmarked over NT$10 billion in its 2025 budget to purchase drones, but nothing for the MCDS, even though only a tiny fraction of the drone budget would be needed to build the new mobile communications system, Lee said.

Communications networks, however, are the "nervous system" of the military, and their development must not be delayed, he insisted.

In addition, each police department in Taiwan's 367 townships and villages, cities, and districts is equipped with a mobile trunking radio network system, which can be used as an important backup communications system in the event of war, he said.