Taiwan expects a much-anticipated missile defense shield to be ready next year after buying advanced weapons at a cost of about NT$300 billion (US$9.4 billion), local media reported yesterday.
Six batteries of Patriot III missiles forming the backbone of the system will account for roughly half the cost associated with the project, the China Times newspaper said.
A long-range early warning radar system, priced at about NT$40 billion, will allow the military to detect and track incoming ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, it said.
While the Patriot III and radars are US-made, the system will also include locally produced tactical ballistic missiles evolved from existing missiles known as “Tien Kung,” or Sky Bow, the paper said.
The Ministry of National Defense declined to comment on the report.
Military experts estimate the People’s Liberation Army currently has more than 1,600 missiles aimed at Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the state-controlled Chinese press yesterday said China needs a “carrier-killer” missile deterrent as a counterbalance to US naval supremacy in the Pacific.
“China undoubtedly needs to build a highly credible anti-carrier capability,” the Global Times said in an editorial.
“Not only does China need an anti-ship ballistic missile, but also other carrier-killing measures,” said the paper, which is published by the People’s Daily, the print mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party. “Since US aircraft carrier battle groups in the Pacific constitute deterrence against China’s strategic interests, China has to possess the capacity to counterbalance.”
US military analysts have said that China is developing a new version of its Dongfeng 21 missile that could pierce the defenses of even the most sturdy US naval vessels and has a range of 20,000km — far beyond Chinese waters.
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