The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased a variety of its inventions, including weapon systems, to be commissioned next year to beef up defense capabilities.
Among those on display at the military’s main research and development unit in Taoyuan was the Thunderbolt-2000 multiple launch rocket system, which is set to be commissioned next year, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The Thunderbolt-2000 is a high-mobility system comprised of a launcher that can be loaded with MK45 rockets that have a range of 45km, said Wu Chi-hsien, a member of the development team.
Photo: CNA
The system, aimed at beefing up Taiwan’s anti-landing operation capabilities, will be used to replace the aging Kung Feng VI rocket system that has been in service for 30 years, the military has said.
The Kung Feng VI rocket system can only launch rockets with a range with 15km, Wu added.
Another invention that will be commissioned was the institute’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system.
“[The UAVs] can conduct surveillance operations day and night,” said Patience Wu (吳培欣), deputy general director of the institute’s aeronautical systems research division.
According to the ministry, the army has taken delivery of 32 such UAVs.
Asked whether the institute will develop UAVs that can be armed, Wu said “we are working toward that direction,” but declined to elaborate further, due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
Also being displayed was the Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile, which is described as an “aircraft carrier killer.”
Having been fitted on Taiwan’s naval frigates, the weapon, with a range of 150km, is the third generation of the locally developed missiles, said Chou Sheng-nan, chief engineer of the Hsiung Feng project.
Asked whether the institute is developing a new variant of the Hsiung Feng III that has a longer range, Chou said the idea is under assessment as part of efforts to bolster national defense capabilities.
More than 100 inventions were displayed to showcase the institute’s achievements from joint research projects with private companies on numerous areas, including “green” technologies.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the