The Ministry of National Defense said Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile batteries have been deployed on the east coast in response to an increased Chinese military presence in the area.
To improve integrated air defense capabilities, the ministry has deployed missiles to Hualien and Taitung counties, and merged the Air Defense Missile Command with the air force to streamline the chain of command, a ministry report submitted to the Legislative Yuan said.
The reorganization and relocation was ordered after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted several long-distance naval and aviation training missions — featuring an aircraft carrier and fleets of nuclear-capable bombers — in the East China Sea, South China Sea, East Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean to demonstrate its long-range power projection capabilities and Beijing’s ambition to dominate the Asia-Pacific region.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Annual military exercises would test the effectiveness of the deployments, the ministry said.
It is the first time the ministry has confirmed the deployments, after speculation emerged following the publication of photographs last month showing missiles in the military’s air defense bases in eastern Taiwan.
The report also announced a doctrinal shift from “effective deterrence” to “multiple deterrence.”
Photo: Military News Agency
The ministry said that it would develop the defense industry to ensure self-sufficiency and national security.
A quadrennial defense review, along with three defense plans that are expected to be the guidelines for the nation’s military buildup, are to be submitted to the Legislative Yuan by March 19.
The military is to conduct new exercises, including integrated air-and-sea training, rescue missions, fishing boat escort missions and supply missions in response to the PLA’s actions.
In addition to field exercises, computer-aided simulations are to be part of regular armed forces exercises.
A tactical engagement simulation system has been built for the army, and the ministry is exploring creating new simulation systems using virtual and augmented-reality technologies.
Measures have been taken to improve the military’s digital warfare capabilities this year, with Academia Sinica and the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology forming partnerships with the military, the ministry added.
The Air Defense Missile Command was yesterday merged with the air force at a handover ceremony at the command’s Taishan District (泰山) headquarters in New Taipei City.
The command, to be headed by Colonel Yu Jen-ming (游仁明), is expected to merge with the Air Defense Artillery Command to improve operational efficiency.
“The missile command is a high-tech, combat-ready unit and it is one of the most important components of the integrated air defense system,” Air Force Commander General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴) said.
The merger would see the transfer of PAC-3, Tien Kung anti-ballistic missiles and Hawk anti-aircraft missiles, as well as tactical counterstrike missiles and Hsiung Feng 2E cruise missiles, to the air force.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
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