Defending the Strait
Subtitle: Taiwan's naval strategy in the 21st century
By: by James Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara
Contributors: Yoshihara, Toshi
Publisher: The Jamestown Foundation
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Washington, DC
Language: eng
Number of pages: 67
ISBN-13: 9780983084242
Subjects: Sea-power; Strategic aspects; Puissance maritime; Aspect stratégique; Strategic aspects of individual places
Description: This report argues that the Taiwan Navy is spreading itself too thin, dispersing scant resources among numerous missions and assets. Instead, the authors believe, Taiwan should be concentrating its budget and its intellectual energies on sea denial, the strategy best suited for guarding the country from invasion. The sea denial fleet must take precedence in future doctrine, strategy, and acquisitions. The report makes the case for this shift in strategy, even though it may require Taipei to forgo priorities such as sealane security and defense of the Spratly Islands.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Executive summary; title: Key findings; title: The theoretical debate: sea control v. sea denial; title: The surface action group concept; title: Chinese perceptions of Taiwan's naval fleet; title: Why cling to sea control? The sea-denial component; title: All is not lost.