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Hsiung Feng won't be displayed: MND

Military honor guards march through the Presidential Office Square during a rehearsal for the Double Ten National Day parade in Taipei yesterday. PHOTO: PATRICK LIN, AP

Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) yesterday admitted to the existence of the Hsiung Feng ("Brave Wind") IIE missile, but said it would not be on display during the Double Ten National Day parade tomorrow.

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.

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
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