China In Arms BOOKSTORE and GIFT SHOP!
Follow on Twitter
Enjoy China In Arms on the big screen!
Subscribe: $5 Month/$50 Annual (unable to secure a subscription contact the bank for permission for Stripe deposits). If you are unable to use a credit card, please notify me immediately: chinainarms@substack.com
5 January 2024 (Monday)
Green Berets Working with Taiwan’s Army Frogmen
United Daily News
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - I have met with individuals of the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Group here in Taiwan, but I have no way of confirming if the story by United Daily News is accurate.
My access to Taiwan’s special operations bases was cut three years ago after 30 years of media visitations, most likely because of the presence of U.S. military personnel.
Besides the Green Berets, I have interacted with elements of the U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command (MARSOC/Raiders) and U.S. Navy SEAL Teams in Taiwan. So a robust U.S. effort to improve Taiwan’s special operations capabilities is underway.
Since I include my observations and commentary in this post, so half way down there is a paywall. It is only USD $5/month or $50/annual.
美軍綠扁帽顧問 長駐陸軍兩棲營
U.S. military Green Beret Advisors, Working with Taiwan’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion [Army Frogmen]
2024-02-05 [2 February 2024] 02:26 聯合報/ 記者洪哲政/台北報導
UNITED DAILY NEWS
美軍顧問將長駐我陸軍兩棲營,並協助我特戰部隊學習使用「黑色大黃蜂」微型無人機。圖為美士兵手持. U.S. military advisers will be stationed in our army's Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) and assist our special forces in learning to use the "Black Hornet Nano" miniature drones.
[Note to Reader: I have not seen any procurement requests for the Black Hornet Nano for Taiwan, if someone is aware of a sale, please notify me of the paperwork.
The ARB (Army Frogmen) are only assigned to the outer islands of Penghu, Matsu, Kinmen, and Dongyin (東引地區指揮部). The Taiwan Marine Corps have x2 Amphibious Reconnaissance Patrol (ARP), x1 Special Service Company, and x1 Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), with identical mission sets and training as the ARB, but remain on Taiwan’s coastal area. There has been debate over the past 20 years of decommissioning the legendary ARB (Army Frogmen) and allow the ARP to take command of any outer island defense. This would make sense as Kinmen and Matsu have become largely demilitarized over the last 30 years. The only military strategic islet is Dongyin, which is armed to the teeth with both anti-ship missiles (Hsiung Feng) and long-range air defense missiles (Tien Kung).]
美國「二○二三年財政年度國防授權法」(NDAA)實施後,今年起美軍顧問長駐我金門、澎湖陸軍兩棲營,並不定期駐訓各特戰營;去年起並開始協助我特戰部隊學習使用「黑色大黃蜂」微型無人機,以及協助撰寫準則與教案,陸軍航特部也已經呈案希望建案循軍售管道對美採購。After the implementation of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Law for the Fiscal Year of 2023 (NDAA) in the United States, from this year, the U.S. military's advisory chief is stationed in the ARB of our army on Kinmen and Penghu, and has been stationed in various special battalions from time to time. Since last year, it has been assisting our special forces to learn how to use the "Black Hornet Nano" miniature drones, as well as to assist in the guidelines for writing and teaching plans. The Army Aviation Special Forces Command (ASFC) has also submitted a case to build a case to purchase from the United States according to the military sales pipeline.
國防部昨天表示,NDAA內容是協助台灣制定全面培訓與制度化能力,涉外軍事交流均依年度計畫執行,相關細節援例不予評論;國軍將持恆戮力戰訓整備,確保國家安全與區域穩定。The Ministry of National Defense said yesterday that the content of the NDAA is to assist Taiwan in formulating comprehensive training and institutionalization capacity. Foreign-related military exchanges are carried out in accordance with the annual plan, and the relevant details of assistance will not be commented. The Taiwan Army will make persistent efforts in combat training to ensure national security and regional stability.
美國「二○二三年財政年度國防授權法」,包裹美國政府將派遣官員駐台的計畫,目前尚未聞有規畫中的文官駐台,但據悉,美軍駐台的「特戰合作組」(SOFLD)據此先行擴大駐訓模式,由綠扁帽部隊第一總隊第二大隊A中隊各派出三人小組,進駐到陸軍兩棲營與高空特勤中隊常駐協訓,成為駐訓觀察員。過去美軍頻繁前往的空降訓練中心(現位於屏東大聖西新址)與谷關特戰訓練中心反而未派人進駐。According to the U.S. National Defense Authorization Law for the Fiscal Year of 2023, the U.S. government will send officials to Taiwan. At present, it has not been heard of the planned civilian officers stationed in Taiwan. However, it is reported that the "Special Warfare Cooperation Group" (SOFLD) stationed in Taiwan will expand the training mode first, 1st Special Forces Group of the Green Beret. Each squadron sent a three-person team to enter the ARB and the high-altitude Army Special Service Company (ASSC) for permanent training and become training observers. In the past, the Airborne Training Center (now located at the new site of Dashengxi, Pingtung) and the Guguan Special Warfare Training Center, which were frequently visited by the U.S. military, did not send anyone.
[Note to reader: Below - I underwent three days of training at the Guguan Special Warfare Center in 2001. It was a grueling experience even for a powerlifter, my age (35) was a constant reminder I was not as tough as I was in the gym. Even though I have little respect for Taiwan’s infantry, I have tremendous confidence in their special operations units.]
「特戰合作組」名義上是受美國在台協會台北辦事處(AIT/T)聯絡事務組管制,但是,實際上是執行台美「陸威專案」下特戰部隊合作與交流事項,而陸威專案又是屬於AIT/T安合組的業務範圍,顯見特戰合作組的特殊與多元性。The "Special Warfare Cooperation Group" is nominally controlled by the Contact Affairs Group of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) [de facto U.S. Embassy], but it is actually implementing the cooperation and exchange matters of special forces under the "Luwei Project" [Powerful Army/陸威] between Taiwan and the United States, and the Luwei Project [actually not a project but a series of agreements/meetings] belongs to the business scope of the AIT Security Cooperation Group, which shows the special and diversity of the Special Warfare Cooperation Group.
See this post on the new U.S. AIT Military Assistance Challenge Coin: HERE.
[Note to reader: The Taiwan Marine Corps goes to a separate AIT navy channel (Blue Sea, "Be Hai"/碧海.) See ARP patch below and you will understand the confusion:]
特戰合作組去年起常駐桃園龍潭特戰指揮部營區內,而所有美方在台特戰人員均受其指導、支援與管制,另管理美方暫存在台的高價值裝備或訓練器材,如特戰合作組去年起開始積極協助我特戰部隊學習使用「黑色大黃蜂」微型無人機,並著手編寫準則與教案,即由特戰合作組支應器材並加以管理。The Special Warfare Cooperation Group has been stationed in the Taoyuan Longtan Special Warfare Command Camp since last year, and all U.S. special forces personnel in Taiwan are guided, supported and controlled by it. In addition, the US side manages the high-value equipment or training equipment temporarily existing in Taiwan. For example, the Special Warfare Cooperation Group began to actively assist our special forces in learning to use the "Black Hornet Nano" miniature drones since last year, and began to write guidelines and teaching plans, that is, the special operations cooperation group should support and manage the equipment.
PD-100「黑色大黃蜂」(Black Hornet Nano)微型無人機是挪威Prox Dynamics公司研發製造,不及手掌大小,配備攝影機可傳輸全動態影像和靜止圖像,有約廿五分鐘飛行時間,飛行時速最高可十八公里,可用於戰線偵察與民防勘察災後現場之用,是美軍特戰部隊現役裝備。The PD-100 "Black Hornet Nano" micro drone [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions] is developed and manufactured by Prox Dynamics in Norway. It is less than the size of a palm. It is equipped with a camera that can transmit full dynamic images and static images. It has a flight time of about a maximum of 18 kilometers per hour. It can be used for front-line reconnaissance and civil defense investigation of post-disaster sites. It is an active-duty equipment of the U.S. special forces.
ABOVE/BELOW:
Overview of U.S. military training in Taiwan
U.S. Units Stationed in Taiwan:
Security Cooperation Group of the Taipei Office of the AIT: the team leader is a Colonel of the U.S. Army, under the Command of the Army, Sea and Air Force, etc.
Contact Affairs Group: three Lieutenant Colonel officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force, and one Major of the Marine Corps.
Regular Action:
January-June Special Warfare "Interactive Exercise"/Green Beret three-to-five Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Station Training.
June-August Special Warfare "Flash Exercise"/ Complete Team of Seal Force Guidance Maritime Training.
April Annual Hanguang Exercise Observation Group/Retired U.S. Army Comes to Taiwan to Participate in the Military Observation Exercises.
Long-term Station/US Special Warfare Cooperation Group is stationed in Taiwan for half a year, and now sends a long-term garrison/U.S. Army 5th Security Cooperation Brigade officers and soldiers stationed in Hualien at a Taiwan Army base to guide combat training.
Irregular and Short-Term Actions:
Recently, the U.S. provided free military assistance. Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) and experts accompanied the team to assist the National Army in changing new equipment.
The Military Purchase and Combat Effectiveness Assessment case of the War Regulations Department of the U.S. Department of Defense sent military civilian personnel to the station for a short time.
[Note to reader: The last part is most likely a reference to a training visit to Camp Grayling].