The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has developed a polycyclic nitroamine explosive, commonly known as CL-20, which is the most powerful non-nuclear explosive known, a government source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The institute has significantly improved explosive and rocket propellant research and development in recent years, the source said.
A new factory was established in June 2022 with NT$540 million (US$16.6 million) in equipment installed, the source said.
Photo copied by Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
A central complex that would house 50-gallon (189 liters) and 300-gallon (1,136 liters) explosive mixer machines, as well as a storage device, was constructed in the factory, the institute said.
The explosive is 40 percent more powerful than those currently used and could be deployed for Hsiung Feng II (“Brave Wind” II, HF-II) and HF-III missiles, the source said.
The source did not comment on what other type of domestically manufactured missiles would be compatible with the CL-20 compound.
However, the institute has the intellectual property rights to all development and manufacturing of products using CL-20, and may authorize its use and production outside of the institute in favor of growing the national defense industry, the source added.
The US, the EU, China and Russia have also researched and made the compound, but due to its high-technical barrier and manufacturing costs, it has not entered commercial production, the source said.
Despite difficulties in mass production, CL-20 has seen some minor uses within the US and China, and has also been used in the Russia-Ukraine war, the source said.
The institute carries the heavy responsibility of researching and developing explosive compounds for the national defense sector, which has become even more important following the passage of the Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan Purchase Special Regulation (海空戰力生計畫採購特別條例) and the increased production of missiles of all types, the source said.
The research and development of rocket propellants was a significant task, the institute said, adding that it was building a solid foundation for basic production capabilities.
To achieve this, the institute said it has ensured that the compound mixing and propellant research areas are safe, equipped with up-to-date machinery and technology, and are comfortable to work in.
In tandem with domestic companies, the institute has researched and built a 1,136-liter mixer from the ground up, further enhancing the autonomy of Taiwan’s national defense sector.
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
WARNING: China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after its new regulation took effect last month, an official said, citing an incident in the Diaoyutai Islands The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday linked China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to Beijing’s new regulation authorizing the China Coast Guard to seize boats in waters it claims. Chinese officials boarded and then seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel operating near China’s coast close to Kinmen County late on Tuesday and took it to a Chinese port, the CGA said. The Penghu-registered squid fishing vessel Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88) was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣), 17.5 nautical miles (32.4km) from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Kinmen,
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military
As eight basketball-playing international students appealed to the Taiwanese basketball industry after they were excluded from the draft of an upcoming new league merging the P.League+ and the T1 League, the new league’s preparatory committee spokesperson Chang Shu-jen (張樹人) yesterday said the committee would tomorrow discuss the supplementary measures and whether the international students can join the draft. The students on Tuesday called for support on their right to play in the upcoming new league, after a merger involving the two leagues impacted their eligibility for the draft. The international players from the University Basketball Association (UBA), led by first pick prospect