The air defense capability of the Chinese military depends not only on the number of fighter aircraft, but also on the ability to retain pilots with professional skills and combat experience. Defense Minister Gu Lixiong went to the Legislative Yuan on October 12 to submit a special report on "Retirement, Replenishment and Retention Mechanisms for National Military Pilots", pointing out that the Air Force's flight manpower ratio is currently 87.8%, and it faces the challenge of middle-aged and elderly pilots transitioning to other jobs and the expansion of recruitment in the civil aviation industry. ; Gu Lixiong further stated on the 13th that if senior flight officers can maintain their physical fitness and extend their service until the age of 58, coupled with air crew bonuses and other benefits, it will help improve their competitiveness for retention and express confidence in reducing the problem of senior flight officers transitioning to other jobs in the middle of their lives. This explanation points to the core of the manpower policy of the foreign military. It cannot just recruit new people to fill the vacancies, but also must find ways to retain professional talents who have accumulated many years of training and flight experience.
According to the "Utilization Method of Air Force Dedicated Flying Officers" proposed by the Ministry of National Defense, eligible lieutenant colonels and colonel flying officers who have served for more than 14 years can extend their service to the age of 58 according to their personal wishes. They are not subject to the original service limit of 26 years for lieutenant colonels and 30 years for colonels. A project is planned to add 72 positions and continue relevant scholarships and air service bonuses. This system responds to the reality pointed out by Gu Lixiong. Military flying officers are in the original service limit. After expiration of service years, they may face the pressure of reduced income and career transition, while civil aviation pilots have longer service years and competitive salary advantages; if the national army cannot improve the system, it may lose manpower after training talents at the stage when their experience is most mature. The significance of the dedicated pilot system is that professional capabilities are not completely limited by traditional service years, so that senior pilots have the opportunity to continue to invest in combat preparations, training and experience inheritance.
The outside world is concerned about the physiological conditions and flight safety of pilots after their service is extended. This is an issue that must be addressed head-on in system design. Gu Lixiong has emphasized that pilots must still undergo annual air service physical examinations, as well as aviation physiology, anti-G strength and physical fitness refresher training. Those who fail to pass the relevant requirements cannot perform front-line flight missions; therefore, the extension of service should not be understood as an unconditional return after the age limit is relaxed. Continuing to fly should be based on the continuous assessment of professional qualifications and physical and mental suitability. The Ministry of National Defense can also properly arrange combat readiness flights, training guidance, and experience inheritance based on personal conditions and unit needs. This can not only maintain flight safety standards, but also enable mature flight talents to play their value in different positions and avoid losing sustainable professional resources due to a single service year.
The success of the extension policy must still be coordinated with recruitment, training and retention measures; Ministry of National Defense data shows that the recruitment of flight squads in recent years can generally meet the training needs, but the recruitment results do not mean that there is no gap in front-line combat readiness manpower; in the face of new fighter aircraft and increasingly heavy combat readiness needs, The military should continue to review flight training resources, service load, remuneration and family support, and arrange for senior pilots to participate in the training and experience transfer of new pilots. At the same time, the government should regularly review the number of service extensions, reasons for retirement, flight safety performance and changes in combat readiness manpower, so that the effectiveness of the policy can be concretely measured. What the national army really needs is not simply to increase senior personnel, but to establish a complete system that can retain senior personnel, replace them with new personnel, and pass on professional experience.
Facing China's increasing military pressure, Taiwan must simultaneously strengthen equipment, manpower and training in order to maintain stable air defense capabilities. Gu Lixiong's promotion of the dedicated flying officer system reflects the Ministry of National Defense's positive response to the talent competition between the military and the civil aviation industry, as well as structural issues in the career development of senior flying officers. This approach is still awaiting review by the Executive Yuan, and its future effectiveness depends on whether salary adjustments can be implemented, whether aviation safety standards can be maintained, and whether new and old talents can be smoothly connected. Supporting a reasonable extension of service does not mean ignoring systemic risks, but acknowledging that professionals need more flexible career arrangements. Defense investment should not only look at how many fighter planes are purchased, but also how many qualified pilots can operate, train and maintain combat readiness. Only by making senior air officers willing to stay and allowing new air officers to take over smoothly can the existing training results of the national army be transformed into sustained and reliable air defense capabilities.
