The second Sovremenny-class guided-missile destroyer bought by China from Russia passed through the Taiwan Strait last week under the watchful eye of Taiwan's military, Minister of National Defense Wu Shih-wen (吳世文) confirmed yesterday.
Wu did not reveal any additional details.
The final destination of the new destroyer is reported to be Qingdao in Shandong province, where it will serve as part of the North Sea fleet of the Chinese navy.
The delivery of the second Sovremenny-class destroyer to China is expected to greatly increase the Chinese navy's combat strength especially in respect to its ability to attack aircraft carriers with the lethal Sunburn anti-ship missile.
Around the same time last year, the first Sovremenny also passed through the Taiwan Strait on its way to be delivered to China.
The passage of the first Sovremenny was much publicized by the local media as a sign of the growing threat of the Chinese navy to Taiwan.
In response to the move, Wu said that the military needs to consider the impact of the destroyers on China's capabilities and take necessary steps to counter the development.
Speaking at a military conference yesterday, Wu highlighted the integration of the three military services and the development of joint-force operations capabilities of dealing with the growing military threat from China.
"Last year the Chinese military staged the largest-ever cross-military regional training exercise since 1964. It also launched the Shenzhou II (
"All these show that China has greatly strengthened its long-distance strike capabilities," Wu said.
Professor Chung Chien (
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
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
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