Amid China's growing threats, Taiwan set to train conscripts to fire advanced missiles

Taiwan's conscripts will be trained to use more advanced weapons, such as portable Stinger and Javelin missiles, as part of their one-year mandatory military training beginning in 2024, as per a report from South China Morning Post. The move is aimed at enhancing combat readiness in the event of a conflict with China. Previously, conscripts were only required to undergo four months of military service, but in the face of increasing military threats from Beijing, Taiwan's authorities have been considering a restructuring of their forces since 2020. The decision to extend conscription to a year was announced by President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday.

Under the approved reform, Taiwanese men born after January 1, 2005 will be required to serve one year in the military starting in 2024. While conscripts will receive higher pay, at NT$20,320 (US$660) per month plus NT$5,987 for allowance and insurance, they will also face more intensive training. This will include close-quarters battle training and the use of modern weapons such as Stinger and Javelin missiles, Kestrel anti-armor rockets, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Taiwan has alloted NT$ 13.37 billion to purchase short-range anti aircraft missiles 

The FIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles and FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as surveillance and suicide drones, have been effective in the battlefield in Ukraine's conflict with Russia and are seen as part of Taiwan's arsenal in asymmetric warfare against China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and does not rule out the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan's defense ministry has budgeted NT$13.37 billion to purchase 500 short-range anti-aircraft missiles, with delivery expected by 2025. A ministry source indicated that the US has tentatively agreed to sell the weapons to assist in Taiwanese troops' training.

The US has welcomed Taiwan's decision to extend conscription to a year. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy in Taipei, stated: "We welcome Taiwan's recent announcement on conscription reform, which underscores Taiwan's commitment to self-defense and strengthens deterrence." Taiwan's military will also incorporate the latest training models from countries with combat experience in order to enhance training for its conscripts.