Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng confirmed the deployment of members of U.S. Army Special Forces to Taiwanese units based on Kinmen and Penghu Islands. The defense minister also said that the deployments are within the scope of regular exchanges for the Taiwanese military. Chiu made the comments in response to a question asked about deployment on the sidelines of a legislative session.
The exchange is part of a program where U.S. personnel are stationed with Taiwanese Marine Corps and Army units located on the islands. Chiu described the program as a “learning opportunity” for the Taiwanese military.
Furthermore, the deployment’s aim is to have both sides train and operate alongside each other to learn from each other and identify and address any issues due to “weaknesses and blind spots.”
The training includes training the Taiwanese units on how to operate Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as the Black Hornet Nano. The personnel will also reportedly assist in developing tactics, techniques, and procedures, along with associated manuals. However, the minister also said that the deployment does “not involve any proposals regarding the purchase of military equipment.”
