The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday.
The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan.
Photo: Screen grab from the Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace Web site
The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to Taiwan during the administration of US President Joe Biden.
The system is designed for the ground-launched version of the US-made AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, as well as Europe’s jointly developed IRIS-T SLS short-range missiles.
NASAMS are compatible with the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar system and use Link-16 tactical data link technology.
The AMRAAM-ER, the extended-range variant of the AIM-120, is capable of intercepting aircraft and supersonic cruise missiles. It has a range of about 50km.
NASAMS would give medium-altitude capability to supplement Taiwan’s other air defense systems, including the land-based variant of the Tien Chien II (Sky Sword II) and Tien Kung (Sky Bow) families of missiles, as well as the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3).
The Tien Chien II is a mobile air defense system designed to protect ground forces with a range of 15km, while the Tien Kung family have a maximum interception altitude of 45km. The PAC-3 has a maximum interception altitude of 24km.
The ministry also announced two other weapons procurements contracts — one for L-band electronic radar arrays and another for non-L-band electronic radar arrays, as well as four logistics and sustainment contracts for several systems.
The radar contracts are likely to be for AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 forward warning systems.
The NASAMS and radar array contracts have a listed allocation of NT$24.3 billion (US$737.17 million) and are to be implemented by February 2034 and March 2030 respectively.
The air force’s 793rd Air Defense Brigade would receive spare parts for air defense missiles and support for PAC-3 systems in two contracts allocated a combined NT$2.33 billion.
The former contract is to be implemented by 2028 and the latter by 2029.
The Tainan-based 1st Tactical Fighter Wing and the Pingtung-based 6th Tactical Fighter Wing would receive a NT$6.4 billion budget to ship components to the US for maintenance and support. The program is to be implemented through December 2030.
The ministry awarded Montreal-based CAE Inc a NT$79 million contract for the maintenance and repair of flight simulators for Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and Lockheed P-3 Orion antisubmarine warfare aircraft.
The contract would be implemented through 2029.
Defense expert Mei Fu-hsing (梅復興) said that the NASAMS proved to be a highly effective weapon in Ukraine’s air defense strategy amid its war with Russia, while Washington has long recommended Taiwan to acquire it as a key asymmetric warfare capability.
The Norwegian air defense weapons are one of the few truly asymmetric systems Taiwan has bought in the past few years, Mei said.
Additional reporting by Chen Chih-chen
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
RSS