The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is to hold a series of missile tests this month at a range in Pingtung County’s Jioupeng Bay (九鵬灣) to further enhance and develop Taiwan’s far-strike capabilities, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
The institute would be testing a missile’s maximum or “infinite” altitude, indicating that it might be testing a new missile, the source said on condition of anonymity.
In April, the institute also conducted “infinite” altitude tests.
At that time, experts surmised that the institute was testing the increased range capabilities of the Tien Kung-III missile.
In response to questions from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) in March, institute deputy director Leng Chin-hsu (冷金緒) said that the institute had one land-based missile ready for mass production and three projects under development.
According to the source, the land-based missile ready for mass production is the Hsiung Feng II-E missile: the basic version with a range of 600km and the surface-to-surface cruise missile version with a range of 1,000km.
“The missile tests are to be conducted on Thursday and Friday, as well as on Monday and Tuesday next week,” the source added.
The institute said that a danger zone has been established for the tests, including the “far seas” off the coast of Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) and the north side of Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼).
The Ocean Affairs Council, Council of Agriculture, Council of Indigenous Peoples, and Ministry of Transportation and Communications have been notified, it said.
The danger zone should be avoided by ships and aircraft, the institute added.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party