ABSTRACT
Threat assessment is by far the most important input for national security measures and its subsequent inputs for arms acquisition. On the basis of sound threat analysis and assessment, one can determine the operational tasks, missions, and parameters for the armed forces as well as the main tactical—technical performance and operational requirements for their equipment. Once the threat assessment has been established, a preference list of arms acquisition may be drawn up. The threat assessment of the Republic of China (ROC) has been heavily influenced, and usually dominated, by the US government from the end of World War II until the end of the twentieth century. In this chapter, the record of arms acquisition by the Taiwanese Navy will be examined within the context of threat assessment. Furthermore, the fighting strength of both the Taiwanese Navy and the People's Liberation Army's Navy (PLAN) over the period 1960–2010 is quantitatively analyzed.
