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Missile test successful, report says

A Chinese-language newspaper yesterday said that the military has successfully tested a 1,000km-range cruise missile, the Hsiung Feng II-E (Brave Wind). The military would not confirm the report.

"The ministry has no comment on the progress of any weapons under development,"said Rear Admiral Liou Chih-chien (劉志堅), spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense(MND).

The local newspaper said that the Hsiung Feng cruise missile will be able to hit targets in southeast China. A small number of cruise missiles will go into production later this year or next year, the report said.

According to the paper, defense minister Lee Jye (李傑) watched the test of Hsiung Feng cruise missiles conducted at the Chiupeng base in Taitung, southeast Taiwan early this year.

The testing missile was launched into the Pacific Ocean southeast of Taiwan, traveling more than 500km and finally hit the target, the paper said.

The paper added that Lee and military officials immediately cheered the successful test.

The paper said a researcher in the missile program has suggested that the ministry install the Hsiung Feng cruise missiles on Kidd-class destroyers, that are due to go into service later this year.

The paper said that in recent years the ministry has increased budgets for the intensive development of strategic missiles at the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, which is in charge of Taiwan's missile production programs.

The paper said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was pleased by the successful test. Chen has pushed the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology to swiftly produce strategic missiles, the paper added.

According to the paper, the Hsiung Feng cruise missile still needs to have its terminal-guidance technology enhanced. In addition, the ministry needs gather more data on China's terrain in order for the cruise missile to successfully hit targets there.

On May 2 at the Legislative Yuan, Lee for the first time implied that Taiwan is developing long-range strategic missiles.

He said the military will temporarily dissolve its missile command, but the command will be re-established once the military has strategic weapons.

The RAND Corp said in a paper in 2002 that Taiwan has been developing 1,000km-range cruise missiles that are similar to the US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.

In addition to cruise missiles, an article in Jane's Missiles and Rockets published in March last year reported that Taiwan has developed plans to produce 30 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles with a 2,000km range and 120 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles with a 1,000km-range, and base them on domestically produced missiles.

Former premier Yu Shyi-kun said last year that Taiwan would launch missiles to retaliate against China if China struck Taiwan.

The paper said the production of strategic missiles would transform Taiwan's military strategy.
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