Comparison of Naval Acquisition Processes between the United States and Taiwan

Abstract

This research uses a case study approach to analyze the respective naval acquisition processes of the United States and Taiwan. The methodology enables a comparison of the acquisition systems used by the U.S. Navy (USN) and Republic of China Navy (ROCN) related to specific naval acquisition programs. The researcher identifies that both countries have established similar structures in their respective acquisition systems; however, the U.S. acquisition system is overall more comprehensive and systematic than Taiwan’s system. As for the implementation of the respective systems, the U.S. Navy made several mistakes caused by adopting an experimental acquisition strategy in the process of its Littoral Combat Ship program. By contrast, Taiwan adopted a more conventional approach for the Tuo Chiang-class corvette program, hence mitigating risk. Recommendations for the United States include to conduct sufficient analysis before taking experimental approaches and to value the importance of requirement identification, and test and evaluation. In contrast, Taiwan needs to complete its acquisition regulations to cover the process of a program’s full life cycle and organize these steps in a systematic manner. Moreover, the test and evaluation processes should not be ignored to expedite the progress of a program. Finally, Taiwan also needs to develop strategic guidance that directs requirements identification beyond the next decade.