TheRepublic of China Army (Chinese:中華民國陸軍;pinyin:Zhōnghuá Mínguó Lùjūn) also known as theROC Army (ROCA); colloquially theTaiwanese Army (Chinese:台灣陸軍;pinyin:Táiwān lùjūn)[2] by western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as theNational Military’s Army (Chinese:國軍陸軍;pinyin:Guó jūn lùjūn) by local Taiwanese people, is the largest branch of Taiwan's military, theRepublic of China Armed Forces.
An estimated 80% of the ROCA is based on theMain Island of Taiwan, while the remainder are stationed on thePenghu,Kinmen,Matsu,Dongsha, andTaiping Islands. This branch was also referred to historically as theChinese Army and theNationalist Chinese Army during and after World War II and the1949 retreat.[3]
Since theChinese Civil War, no armistice or peace treaty has ever been signed between theRepublic of China regime and thecommunist regime, so as the final line of defense against a possibleinvasion by thePeople's Liberation Army (PLA), the primary focus of the ROCA is on defense andcounterattack againstamphibious assault andurban warfare.
The ROC Army's current operational strength includes threearmies, fivecorps. As of 2005, the Army's 35brigades include 25infantry brigades, fivearmoured brigades and threemechanized infantry brigades.[4][5][6] All infantry brigades stood down and transferred to Reserve Command after 2005.
This update reflects the ROCA order of battle at the conclusion of the Jinjing Restructuring Plan in 2008.
A new type of unit called defense team (守備隊) is being introduced. These are formed by elements of de-activated brigades under each area defense command. The strength of a defense team may vary from one or more reinforced battalions, making it roughly equal to a regiment. The team CO is usually a full colonel.[7]
In the event of war most of the high command would retreat to underground bunkers, tunnel complexes, and command posts.[8]
Aviation and Special Forces Command (航空特戰指揮部)[9]
6th Army Corps (第六軍團指揮部): Northern Taiwan[9]
Guandu Area Command
Lanyang Area Command
269 Mechanized Infantry Brigade
542 Armor Brigade
584 Armor Brigade
8th Army Corps (第八軍團指揮部): Southern Taiwan[9]
564 Armor Brigade
10th Army Corps (第十軍團指揮部): Central Taiwan[9]
586 Armor Brigade
Kinmen Defense Command (金門防衛指揮部)[9]
Armed Force Reserve Command (後備指揮部)ROC Army's former Army Missile Command was transferred to ROC Air Force in 2006.
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Republic of China Army[14] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| 一級上將 It-kip siōng-chiòng | 二級上將 Jī-kip siōng-chiòng | 中將 Tiong-chiòng | 少將 Siáu-chiòng | 上校 Siōng-hāu | 中校 Tiong-hāu | 少校 Siáu-hāu | 上尉 Siōng-ùi | 中尉 Tiong-ùi | 少尉 Siáu-ùi | |||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of China Army[14] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 一等士官長 Yīděng shìguānzhǎng | 二等士官長 Èrděng shìguānzhǎng | 三等士官長 Sānděng shìguānzhǎng | 上士 Shàngshì | 中士 Zhōngshì | 下士 Xiàshì | 上等兵 Shàngděngbīng | 一等兵 Yīděngbīng | 二等兵 Èrděngbīng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheRepublic of China Military Academy, established in 1924, trains officers for the army in a four-year collegiate course of study, after which they graduate with an officer's commission and a bachelor's degree.
In 2025 the Army opened a dedicatedunmanned aerial vehicle training center. The center is located inTainan and offers training to both operational and support personal.[15]
The Republic of China Army originated from theNational Revolutionary Army of theNationalist Chinese regime, which was founded bySun Yat-sen'sKuomintang (KMT) in 1924, when theWhampoa Military Academy was established withSoviet military assistance.
Whampoa Military Academy, which was presided byChiang Kai-shek, was tasked with the objective of training a professional Chinese revolutionary army (革命軍人) to unify China during theWarlord Era. It participated in theNorthern Expedition, theSecond Sino-Japanese War (duringWorld War II) and theChinese Civil War before withdrawing of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949.
After 1949, the ROC Army has participated in combat operations on Kinmen and the Dachen Archipelago against the PLA in theBattle of Kuningtou, and in theFirst andSecond Taiwan Strait Crisis. In addition to these major conflicts, ROCA commandos were regularly sent to raid theFujian and Guangdong coasts. Until the 1970s, the stated mission of the Army was to retake the mainland from thePeople's Republic of China. Following the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the democratization of the 1990s, the mission of the ROC Army has been shifted to the defense ofTaiwan,Penghu,Kinmen andMatsu from a PLA invasion.
With the reduction of the size of the ROC armed forces in recent years, the Army has endured the largest number of cutbacks as ROC military doctrine has begun to emphasize the importance of offshore engagement with the Navy and Air Force. Subsequent to this shift in emphasis, the ROC Navy and Air Force have taken precedence over the ROC Army in defense doctrine and weapons procurement.[16] Recent short-term goals in the Army include acquisition and development of joint command and control systems, advanced attack helicopters and armored vehicles,multiple launch rocket system and field air defense systems. The Army is also in the process of transitioning to an all volunteer force.[6]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic Army chemical warfare units were used to disinfect public areas and to do spot disinfections around known disease clusters. In January 2021 the 33rd Chemical Warfare Group was deployed to Taoyuan City to deal with a cluster of infections around a hospital there.[17]
From the 1990s onwards, the Republic of China Army launched several upgrade programmes to replace outdated equipment with more advanced weapons, also increasing its emphasis on forces that could be rapidly deployed and were suited for combat in Taiwan's heavily urbanized environment. Orders were placed with the United States forM60A3 Patton tanks,M109A5 "Paladin" howitzers andAH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters, as well as updating existing equipment.
Along with the other ROC military branches, the ROC Army has extensive experience in the construction and utilization of tunnels and bases gained during the People's Republic of China's bombardments ofKinmen andMatsu during the Cold War and many facilities are rumoured to be located underground in undisclosed locations.
The U.S. Government announced on October 3, 2008, that it plans to sell $6.5 billion worth of arms to Taiwan ending the freeze of arms sales to Taiwan. Amongst other things, the plans include $2.532 billion worth of 30 AH-64D Apache Longbow Block III Attack helicopters with night-vision sensors, radar, 173 Stinger Block I air-to-air missiles and 1000 AGM-114L Hellfire missiles.[18] and 182 Javelin missiles will also be available with 20 Javelin command launchers and is estimated to cost $47 million.[19]
On January 29, 2010, US Government announced 5 notifications to US Congress for arms sales to Taiwan. Of the total 6.392 billion US dollars in the 5 announcements, ROC Army will receive 60 UH-60M and other related things for cost of 3.1 Billion.[20]
In July 2007 it was reported that the ROC Army would request the purchase of 30AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters from the US in the 2008 defence budget.[21] In October 2015 it was announced that 9 AH-64E had been grounded due to oxidation of components in the helicopters' tail rotor gearboxes and comprehensive safety checks were made on all Apaches. The 2008 defense budget also listed a request for 60UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters as a partial replacement for the UH-1Hs currently in service.[22]
As of 2019, the ROC army has 480M60A3s, 450CM11s (modified M48 turrets mated to M60 chassis), and 250CM12s (CM-11 turrets mated to M48 hulls). The design and technology used in the tanks date back to the 1940s and 1950s, including their 105mm rifled gun and utilizing traditional steel armor plating rather than composite materials used in modern armored fighting vehicles. It is expected that the majority of the ROC Army's armored units would continue to be equipped with legacy tanks in upgraded form after the army acquires the newer modern tanks.[23] As of 2015, some CM11 tanks are observed to be upgraded with explosivereactive armor around the turret and hull.[24]
In October 2017, Taiwan announced an upgrade program for 450 M60A3s consisting of replacing the main gun with a new 120 mm weapon, as well as upgrading the ballistics computer, turret hydraulics, and other systems. Testing and evaluation are expected to be completed in 2019 and application of new features to start in 2020.[25] However, in July 2018 the Ministry of National Defense renewed its interest in acquiringAbrams, and had set aside US$990 million to purchase 108 M1A2s while modernization of existing M60A3s in service continues.[26]
On June 7, 2019, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Taiwan has signed a $2 billion weapons deal with the Trump administration, which includes a purchase of 108M1A2T (M1A2C export variant for Taiwan) Abrams battle tanks. Taiwanese defense officials intend to use the M1A2T Abrams battle tank to replace its army's M60A3 and M48H CM11 tanks.[27][28] On July 8, 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of new M1A2T Abrams tanks to Taiwan despite criticism and protest of the deal from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The deal includes 122M2 Mounted Machine Guns, 216M240 machine guns, 14M88A2 HERCULES vehicles, and 16M1070A1 Heavy Equipment Transporters. General Dynamics Land Systems will build the tanks at Anniston Army Depot, Alabama, and at Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. The final signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) was confirmed on December 21, 2019.[29] The tanks represent the first sale of new tanks to the ROC Army in decades from the US. Surplus M1A1 tanks were previously rejected by previous US administrations, including George W. Bush in 2001.[30] Current ROC tanks include used M60A3 tanks and locally manufactured M48 tanks in which the initial variants were first produced between the 1950s and 1960s.[31][32][33] The first batch of 38 tanks were received on December 16, 2024, with the remaining tanks to be delivered in two more batches, the second one in 2025 and the final one in 2026.[34]
Some criticisms were made of these M1 Abrams purchases, some analysts expressed that Taiwan's terrain and some of its bridges and roads are unsuitable for the 60-tonne M1A2. However, Taiwan's current tanks have older 105-millimeter rifled guns that may not be able to readily penetrate the frontal armor of modern People's Liberation Army (PLA) Type 96 and Type 99 tanks, which can easily penetrate the Patton's old-fashioned steel armor with their smoothbore 125mm ZPT-98 main gun. The M1A2T tank's 120mm gun is capable of destroying PLA tanks without reliance on anti-tank missiles.[35] Moreover, tanks can be used as mobile reserves for counterattacks against PLA beach landings, which was successful during theBattle of Guningtou.[36] ROC Army Chief of Staff, Yang Hai-ming, said that China's best tank, the heavyType 99 tank, would not be able to be transported in an amphibious invasion during a potential war with Taiwan and the PLA would have to rely on the much lighter 20-tonType 63A tanks. Due to this logistics issue for the PLA there is less concern about the M1A2T tanks having to deal with China's most modern tanks during an amphibious invasion.[37]
CM-32 Yunpao, an 8x8 armoured personnel carrier locally manufactured, will replace ageing M113s and V-150 armoured vehicles. It is a modular vehicle platform capable of accepting various configurations for specific combat requirements. As of 2019, an IFV version of Yunpao armed with Orbital ATK 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II cannons, CM-34, is planned for production.[38] Production of a version with a 105-mm assault gun, which is modeled on that of the CM-11 Brave Tiger main battle tank, is also scheduled to be completed by 2023.[39]
Long and medium range air defense systems are operated by the Republic of China Air Force with the Army assuming much of theSHORAD mission. The most modern air defense system of the Army is the US-madeAvenger.[40]
The ROCA is in the process of fielding theSurface-to-Air TC-2 medium range air defense system.[41] Development of a surface launched TC-2 began with theROCN in 1994.[42]
On June 7, 2019, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Taiwan has signed a $2 billion weapons deal with the Trump administration, which includes a purchase of "250 surface-to-air Stinger missile systems."[27] Taiwan's ROC Army already has 2,223 Stinger missile systems.
On September 23, 2019, former Defense Minister Yen De-fa (嚴德發) confirmed the Republic of China Armed Forces has requested the purchase of M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers from the United States. On August 4, 2021, the Biden administration approved a potential $750 million sale of 40 M109A6 self-propelled howitzers and other supporting equipment, including up to 1,698 kits for precision-guided munitions.[43][44][45][46][47][48] However, the M109A6 is reportedly delayed until 2026 or later due to crowded production line forcing the Republic of China Armed Forces to look for alternatives.[49][50] As of March 2023, the Republic of China Armed Forces is reportedly attempting to acquire hundreds of missile trucks and self-propelled howitzers from the Czech Republic.[51]
As of 2019, the ROC Army's current tube artillery in service consists of M109A2 and M109A5 systems, 8 inch M110A2 self-propelled howitzers and 155mm M114 towed howitzers. These systems have exceeded their service life with the oldest being the M114, which has been in service for 68 years, while the youngest artillery system, the M109A5, has been in service for 21 years. The last artillery system that entered service is the M109A5s, which are ordered in 1996 and taken delivery in 1998.
The ROC Army also maintains a large force of rocket artillery vehicles. There are a handful ofKung Feng VI 117mm rocket launchers still in service, but these are being phased out in favour of the more capableRT-2000. Testing is underway for long-range rockets capable of being fired by the RT-2000 from Taiwan and reaching inland targets on the Chinese mainland.[52][53] In 2021, Taiwan purchased 11M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the U.S. to be delivered in 2024, along with the first batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks.[54] A second order of 18 HIMARS is expected to be delivered in 2026.[54]
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The morale and training of the Taiwanese army will probably play a major role in determining whether Taiwan really is ready to defend itself in an emergency.
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