The whole of Taiwan is within range of the nearly 980 guided missiles which China now has aimed at the country, a senior Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said yesterday.
"These missiles indeed pose a serious threat to Taiwan," Major-General Wang Cheng-hsiao (王正霄), deputy director of the MND's intelligence department, said at a news conference yesterday.
Wang said that the accuracy of these missiles could exceed 70 percent in practical applications.
"The Chinese military has approximately 2.3 million soldiers available. The threat exists and it is growing," he said.
"Our intelligence sources show that the whole of Taiwan is within range of [the Chinese military's] missiles. By 2010, China could be capable of completing preparations for a large-scale war against Taiwan. By 2015, it could have the capacity to launch a decisive battle," he added.
Wang said that China had put into service about 60 J-10 aircraft, which are tipped to be the equivalent of the Taiwanese air force's F-16 A/Bs in terms of combat capabilities.
"Armed with these airplanes, as well as Su-27s and Su-30s, China will have air supremacy over Taiwan," he warned.
The rise of the Chinese military could also become a threat to other Asian countries, but was especially relevant to Taiwan, he said.
Confirming that China had shot down one of its own satellites with a mid-range guided missile on Jan. 11, Wang said that China was trying to elevate its international stature by demonstrating its missile capability instead of threatening Taiwan.
Nonetheless, he expressed concerns that "now that they have the ability to shoot down a satellite from the ground, it also means they have the ability to shoot down ours."
"Should war break out in the Taiwan Strait, China would be able to use its anti-satellite weaponry to attack the military satellites of other countries," including those of the US, Wang added.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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