The ongoing military action against Libya could provide some good news for Taiwan, defense officials said.
The US Navy’s new EA-18G “Growler,” an electronic warfare aircraft, has been seeing its first combat experience in the military action against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and has reportedly been performing well. Given its capabilities, the aircraft could play a vital role in the defense of Taiwan should the US intervene in any armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
One military Web site reported: “As the United Nations-sanctioned war against Libya moves into its third day, no US, French or British aircraft have been shot down by Libyan air defenses. Part of the credit should go to the Navy’s new jammer.”
Photo: Reuters
US Vice Admiral Bill Gortney told media that the EA-18G had provided electronic warfare support to the coalition’s attack.
Jammers such as the EA-18G are platforms equipped with electronic countermeasures providing an umbrella of protection for ground and air forces by jamming enemy radar, electronic data links and communications systems.
While details remain classified, the “Growler” — which is replacing the Navy’s EA-6B “Prowler” jammer fleet — is believed to have located and disabled the communications systems used by Libyan tank columns and defeated surface-to-air missiles, thus enabling the coalition to launch air strikes against ground forces.
Sources said the Growler would soon have the capability to insert viruses into enemy command networks, causing electronic chaos.
“The Growler’s performance could certainly be good news for Taiwan,” John Pike, head of the Washington-based Global Security think tank, told the Taipei Times. “While China has more advanced equipment than Libya, the US remains about twenty years ahead of Beijing.”
“It’s a cat and mouse game of measures and counter-measures, but with the latest US advances we can probably blind the Chinese radars. And if they can’t see us, they can’t hit us,” he said.
A specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, the Growler has become a Pentagon priority. Two years ago, the Pentagon decided to buy more Growlers rather than continue production of the F-22 stealth fighter.
A US defense expert said the US Navy’s “real plan” for winning any future air war with China was to attack “where they’re most vulnerable” — in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The star of that spectrum, experts said, is the Growler.
Asked about China’s development of a new stealth aircraft and long-range anti-ship missiles earlier this year, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that China’s “anti-access programs” were being dealt with.
In particular, Gates’ aides mentioned China’s efforts to impede US access in any conflict over Taiwan.
Gates said at the time that the US would speed up its development of electronic jammers to improve the ability to fight and survive in an anti-access environment.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS