Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu (
Fielding questions at the legislature's National Defense Committee, Lee said the land-attack cruise missile would not be displayed as it was still in the development stage.
"The Hsiung Feng is what the media and the public have made it out to be, but it is not ready to be displayed at this time," Lee said.
PHOTO: PATRICK LIN, AP
Lee said that other domestically developed advanced missiles -- including the supersonic anti-ship Hsiung Feng-3, the anti-tactical ballistic missile Tien Kung-3 and several unmanned aerial vehicles -- would be displayed.
Lee made the remarks while responding to a question by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) on whether Washington had suggested the Hsiung Feng not be displayed for fear of provoking Beijing.
The defense minister said the US had respected Taiwan's decision to develop defensive weapons systems, adding that "we will handle the matter [of the Hsiung Feng] with great vigilance."
Military magazines have said the missile has a range of up to 600km, making its development a sensitive issue as Taiwan has pledged it would only purchase and develop defensive weapons.
Some local politicians, however, have increasingly called for the development and acquisition of offensive weapons, arguing that the best deterrent lies in the capability to retaliate against a Chinese attack.
Lee said the parade would be held regardless of weather conditions. The scheduled paratrooper landing in front of the Presidential Office could be canceled, however, if the weather is unsuitable.
Defense officials said the flyby will showcase many aircraft purchased in the years since the last military-oriented parade, including the AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, the S-70C rescue helicopter, and several fixed-wing aircraft such as the F-16 and Mirage 2000.
Other advanced military hardware showcased will include two eight-wheel-drive CM-32 Clouded Leopard vehicles, an Avenger air defense missile system with Stinger missiles, a 50-caliber machine gun as well as armored Humvees equipped with armor-piercing TOW missiles, the officials said.
An AAVP7 Assault Amphibian Vehicle, purchased from the US in 2001, will also be featured, officials said.
Mobile Army and Marine radar systems, firefighting vehicles from the chemical corps and a pontoon bridge from the engineering corps will also be in the parade.
Members of several military units, including the Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit and the Army Special Forces, will also take part, the officials said.
Several new weapons were on display at yesterday's rehearsal, but the parachute display was canceled because of bad weather.
Also canceled was a flyby of IDFs, F-16s, Mirages and AT-3 Attack Trainers, as well a performance by the Thunder Tiger Aerobatic Team.
The last military display on National Day was held 16 years ago. This year's military parade will have three components: a flyby, a ground forces parade and parachuting. Ground forces include the display of anti-tank missiles, ground-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, mobile radar vehicles, nuclear bio-chemical detection vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
Tomorrow's National Day ceremony and parade will begin in front of the Presidential Office at 9:19am and end at approximately 11:30am. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a cocktail party for foreign dignitaries at the Taipei Guest House from 4pm to 6pm.
Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling
Also see Shih Ming-teh to attend National Day celebrations and Double Ten: The roots of`abnormal' Taiwan
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft