One of the three new weapon procurement contracts signed with the US last year is to be delivered by the end of this year, the Ministry of National Defense announced today.
The three contracts are for Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), an L-band electronic array radar and a non-L-band electronic array radar, the ministry said.
Given the frequent military activities in the Taiwan Strait by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the NASAMS and new radar systems will deepen Taiwan’s air defense capabilities, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense
NASAMS have been used effectively in Ukraine, offering up automated detection capability, distributed firepower capabilities, a supporting command and control component, the ministry added.
The two new radar systems will improve detection rates and be resistant to jamming or interference, the ministry said.
NASAMS integrates the MPQ-64 “Sentinel,” multiple types of short and medium-range air defense missiles, and the Link 16 military tactical data link, allowing it to defend against aircraft within a range of 40 to 50 kilometers.
NASAMS will be deployed in Greater Taipei, with one located in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and the other in New Taipei’s Tamsui District (淡水), as both locations would be crucial in defending the capital, the ministry said.
The electronic array systems will be spread across the country, the ministry added.
NASAMS has performed well in Ukraine, making it a priority item for the US to recommend to Taiwan as part of the country’s push to increase its asymmetric warfare capabilities, defense expert Mei Fu-hsing (梅復興) said.
Unlike several other arms sales, Mei said, this system aligns well with that goal.
The US government announced on Oct. 26 last year that it would notify the US Congress of the agreements, totaling US$1.988 billion.
This is the 17th arm sale to Taiwan under outgoing US President Joe Biden.
The contract for NASAMS amounts to NT$10.31 billion (US$312.7 million), has a fulfillment date of Dec. 27 of last year, and will run until Feb. 25, 2034.
The L-band electronic array radar will cost NT$6.42 billion and run until 2030, while the non-L model will cost NT$7.61 billion and expire at the same time.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
RSS