Taiwan News
Date}: 2015-12-03
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi denied speculations that there are irregularities
LY questions irregularities over AAV-7 purchase. Central News Agency
concerning the purchase of 12 AAV-7 assault amphibious vehicles from the United States, reports said Thursday.
Rumors recently stemmed within the legislature that the 2015-2019 budget request made by the defense ministry for 36 AAV-7s totaling NT$5.3 billion (US$177 million) do not exactly correspond with the sources quoted by Bloomberg View columnist Josh Rogin.
Earlier last month, a report by Rogin revealed that the Obama administration was prepared to fulfill the list of arms procurements requested by Taiwan, which includes: 12 AAV-7 assault amphibious vehicles, one Apache attack helicopter, FIM-92 Stinger, Javelin fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles, TOW, and among several others.
“Why is it that there is a discrepancy between the two?” Kuomintang Legislator Lin Yu-fang questioned during an interpellation at the legislature in the morning. [FULL STORY]