Taiwan is restructuring its marine corps along US lines to improve its coastal strike capacity as pressure grows from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
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Under the plan, the corps will form a new 77th Brigade modelled on the US marine littoral regiment system to create a more agile and modern force, Taiwan’s TVBS news channel reported on Tuesday.
The 77th Brigade was disbanded in 2013 and would be reactivated and equipped with long-range precision strike weapons, similar to those used by the US regiment, TVBS reported.
A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the changes were part of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s directives to modernise the island’s defence structure.
“The first phase of the restructuring focuses on the marine corps,” the source said, without elaborating.
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Former navy captain Jiang Hsin-biao told TBVS that the new brigade had to have long-range strike capabilities.