Although the capitals are 8,000km apart, security analysts suggest that Kyiv and Taipei share very similar defense priorities and should learn from each other as each tries to fend off the unwanted attention of an imperialist neighbour. Security experts ask: are we entering the age of hackers? If it is impossible to make one’s country completely impenetrable to ambitious bullies, perhaps, the argument goes, it is better to raise the cost of any invasion to a level unacceptable to the attacker. In short, promise the hunter such a barbed welcome that even if the balance of military probabilities suggests that he may ultimately succeed, he decides not to invade because of the pain he will have to endure to prevail. Going plain is a bold strategy, requiring a complete shift from conventional military thinking about defense equipment, training and structures. Instead of investing, as Taiwan is today, in small amounts of high-end military kit, such as US F-16 fighter jets and M1A2 Abrams tanks, perhaps Taipei should buy or build vast quantities of cheaper, less sophisticated equipment.
