President Lai Inaugurates New Artillery School in Tainan

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan's army has opened a new artillery training school in Tainan as part of the government's initiatives to improve troop recruitment, retention and combat power. President Lai Ching-te attended the opening ceremony and delivered words of encouragement for what the new facility could mean for Taiwan's army.

Transcript

00:00Here at the Army's newest artillery training school, units will learn the latest in tactics

00:04and technologies needed to defend Taiwan.

00:07Taiwan President Lai Ching-de attended the opening ceremony today, alongside defense

00:11ministry officials and local politicians, ushering in a new era of military preparedness for

00:16Taiwan's armed forces.

00:21Speaking in front of HIMARS artillery platforms and land sword missiles, Lai sounded confident

00:28in the military's growing capabilities.

00:30I just saw the Marine Corps, and I saw the National Institute of the University of Hong Kong

00:36and the National Institute of the University of Hong Kong.

00:38In the future, we will be able to protect our country's strength.

00:50Officials here say the new facility will teach Taiwan's troops to use new technology to make

00:54Taiwan's big guns even more deadly.

00:57Domestically produced artillery is housed alongside US-sourced weapons, among other equipment.

01:02The base opens as Taiwan works to build up its military in an effort to counter China, which

01:06views Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to take the country by force.

01:11Part of this push has been a focus on improving recruitment and retention, with this new base

01:15meant to house some 2,600 cadets and officers once it's fully online.

01:40This comes as Taiwan's legislature remains locked in a fierce debate over defense spending

01:45and U.S. arms sales.

01:47Opposition lawmakers are blocking President Lai's special US$40 billion defense budget,

01:51raising concerns over the fate of the proposal.

01:54On Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said that several advanced weapons, including artillery,

01:59rockets and drones, have already been approved by the U.S. Congress.

02:03Pretty soon, thousands of recruits will be learning how to use them here in southern Taiwan.

02:06Fu Hua Hung and Larry Siano in Tainan for Taiwan Plus.

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