The nation's Kidd-class destroyers can be sunk by the Chinese air force, the Ministry of National Defense said while officials made public the result of a computerized simulation of the annual Han Kuang military exercise during a press conference yesterday morning.
"According to the simulation, at least one of our Kidd Class destroyers will be sunk by the Chinese air force's SU-30 jet fighters," said Rear Adimral Lee Hao (
The simulation was designed to predict the outcome of a military confrontation between China and Taiwan in a sea battle in the Taiwan Strait.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FENG, TAIPEI TIMES
Two Kidd Class destroyers were involved in the simulated battle.
Lee said that in the simulation, the destroyers made a good contribution, as the two vessels successfully attracted most of the enemy fire. The ships were also able to destroy 19 of the short-range ballistic missiles China had deployed on its southeastern coast.
During an attack from 40 Chinese jet fighters, the destroyer shot down 16 of them but eventually was struck by a rocket fired by an SU-30 and sank.
"The ship helped us frustrate 40 percent of the enemy's invading force before it could reach Taiwan's shores," Lee said. "For us, that is the main purpose for our Kidd Class destroyers."
In the meantime, the same result also showed that the Chinese military will need more than two weeks to prepare for a campaign at sea. As a result, the ministry also announced that the country's current force would be able to defend Taiwan for more than two weeks if a war between Taiwan and China breaks out.
In addition to the computer simulation, the ministry also announced that the annual Han Kuang military exercise will be held sometime between June and August, which will help gauge the accuracy of the simulation.
In 2001, the military asked the US to sell it four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with AEGIS defense systems, which are designed to detect and attack dozens of aircraft and ships simultaneously. However, the US only agreed to sell Taiwan four older Kidd-class destroyers. The first Kidd-class destroyer will arrive in Taiwan by the end of the year.
The four Kidd-class destroyers, which were originally built for the Shah of Iran, employed the most technologically advanced radars and anti-aircraft missile launchers in the world, and are among the most powerful anti-air and all purpose destroyers.
The US navy stopped using all Kidd-class destroyers in 1981, after the Shah's government collapsed amid the Iranian revolution. For this reason, they are often referred to as the "Ayatollah-class."
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS