A small number of cruise missiles, the Hsiung Feng II-E (Brave Wind), will go into production this month, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) reported yesterday.
"The Hsiung Feng II-E cruise missiles would be swiftly deployed on Taiwan's west coast. Cities in southeastern China and more than 20 of China's main military bases in southwestern China" would be within range of the missiles, the paper said.
It said the Hsiung Feng II-E missile would be able to be launched from land, sea or air. If the missiles were deployed on outlaying islands, Shanghai would be within range, it said.
Meanwhile, other Chinese-language newspapers reported yesterday the nation's first national security report will suggest the military adjust its strategy by buying and developing more offensive weapons to deter China's military threat against Taiwan, the newspapers said.
The report will say that given that the US is willing to consider selling Taiwan offensive weapons, the military should adjust its arms-procurement lists, the papers said. The report will say that the country will never develop nuclear, biochemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction.
A Chinese-language newspaper reported last month that the military had successfully tested a 1,000km-range cruise missile, the Hsiung Feng II-E.
The Liberty Times, however, said the military would initially produce 600km-range missiles because more work was needed on turbo-generators capable of powering longer-range missiles.
According to the paper, the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, which is in charge of missile-production programs, estimated it would produce advanced turbo-generator-equipped cruise missiles with a 1,000km-range by next year.
The paper said the military decided to quickly deploy the shorter-range missiles because of the increasing threat from China.
The paper said the new cruise missile still needs to have its guidance system enhanced. It said the US has yet to agree to sell a global positioning system (GPS) for military use to Taiwan. As a result, the new missiles would initially be equipped with a GPS system designed for businesses and with Russia's GLONESS positioning system to enhance their positioning capability, it said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
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