The Taiwanese Coast Guard will adopt an experimental approach to address China’s so-called “gray zone” actions near its territory.
Instead of investing in heavy weapons, the service plans to procure less lethal military assets to minimize risks to life when confronting Chinese forces.
These assets include 40-millimeter flashbang grenades, stand-alone grenade launchers with single-shot capacity, and less lethal handguns.
The coast guard will also buy 70-millimeter rockets with “shock warheads,” which produce high-decibel sounds to deter targets.
According to a senior official, less deadly weapons are more appropriate for maritime law enforcement missions than heavier, highly explosive munitions.
Currently, the service equips its Tuo-Chiang class corvettes with the highly lethal Chen Hai multi-barrel rocket weapons.
The new approach will be implemented on a trial basis, starting next year up to 2027.
China’s ‘Gray Zone’ Tactics
“Gray zone” tactics refers to military actions that fall short of armed conflict but exceed normal diplomatic activities.
They aim to weaken an adversary over time and increase the chances of successfully pulling off a deceptive plan.
China’s escalating military presence around Taiwan is widely viewed as an example of “gray zone” tactics designed to exhaust the island nation’s defense capabilities.
Through regular incursions into Taiwan’s exclusive zones, the Asian military superpower is reportedly testing the limits of its enemy’s responses.
So far, Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics appear effective, with Taiwan’s defense minister admitting that the heightened activities complicate efforts to quickly detect an invasion.