Taiwan’s deal to buy US Volcano landmine systems sparks controversy over safety risk and international drive for ban
- Some critics have expressed concern that the US$141 million deal heralds a change to a long-standing strategy of fighting decisive battles away from the island
- But supporters say the Volcano System would only be deployed in the event of an attack from the Chinese mainland and will act as a deterrent
It has also raised concern that using the mines in Taiwan would contradict the military’s strategy of trying to fight decisive battles outside the island to reduce the amount of destruction caused on land.
The island’s defence ministry announced last week the signing of a deal with the US to buy the Volcano Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine Systems.
Under the deal, the weapons will be delivered by the end of 2029, according to a government procurement notice made public last Thursday.
It follows the US State Department’s approval in late December of a US$180 million arms package for Taiwan, including Volcano mine systems and the trucks on which they would be mounted.
The deal also includes dummy munitions for training, as well as logistics support and maintenance evaluations.
The ministry did not explain why the US$141 million purchase price it provided was less than the initially proposed total of US$180 million.
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Taiwan’s army said last Friday that the systems would be assigned for future operations in coastal areas and on beaches in northern, central and southern Taiwan.
Each Volcano mine dispenser contains 960 mines and can create a minefield 1,100 metres long and 120 metres wide (3,600ft by 390ft) within four to 12 minutes, according to the Federation of American Scientists Military Analysis Network.
But the deal has triggered controversy over whether it is suitable for Taiwan to lay mines on the island when most countries support the Ottawa Treaty, which calls for the elimination of landmines around the world.
“With the capability to swiftly litter a large area with mines, it is possible that the deployment of the systems could turn Taiwan into the ‘island of landmines’ and no one can say for sure the mines pose no risks to people,” said Lo Chih-chiang, a Taipei city councillor from the opposition Kuomintang.
He said although the mines are designed to damage tanks and not people, heavy civilian trucks might accidentally cause the mines to explode when passing through areas where the weapons are deployed.
“There were many mines buried underground in Kinmen [another name for Quemoy] at that time, and many people were injured. This has hampered the development of Kinmen for a long time,” she noted.
KMT legislator Lai Shyh-bao said the government and military should tell the public if the long-time strategy of keeping decisive battles outside Taiwan is still in place.
“The deployment of the system means we would allow the battle to take place within our territory. Does that mean we now favour an urban-warfare or scorched-earth strategy?” he asked.
Some local civic groups also raised concern about the use of the landmines which contravene the Ottawa Treaty ratified or acceded by 164 countries.
Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province and is not recognised by most UN member states, cannot sign the treaty as a result.
The Volcano system was originally developed in the 1980s but was mothballed in the late 1990s before the United States brought it back into use in 2017. Some of the systems have already been sent to Ukraine to help counter the Russian invasion.
Wang Ting-yu, a legislator from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said the anti-tank mines were designed to explode only when run over by heavy vehicles so people would not be injured by accidentally stepping on one.
“[A mine] can easily be identified with the naked eye as it it is laid on the surface instead of being placed underground. Also, it self-destructs when left for longer than the preset time,” he said.
Wang also said that the system would only be deployed if the People’s Liberation Army sends an amphibious force to land in Taiwan and it will not be used in peace time.
DPP legislator Chao Tien-lin said the system could help Taiwan bolster its asymmetric capability, which would help deter attacks.
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“Certain people are exaggerating the risks – apparently to pander to China, which does not want Taiwan to deploy the system as it could create difficulty for it in the event of an amphibious attack on Taiwan,” he said.
Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research, said the system would help resist or deter an amphibious landing by the PLA.
“As the mines can be seen with the naked eye and the PLA forces would need time to clear them or avoid the mined area by going in another direction, it would give our forces much need-needed time to concentrate their fire on them,” Su said.
