Coast Guard to deploy new missile

The Coast Guard plans to deploy a new anti-aircraft missile on Pratas (東沙) island in the South China Sea as part of its efforts to strengthen the self-defense capabilities of offshore islands under its control, according to a high-ranking coast guard official.

The new missile to be deployed on Pratas is the Stinger missile, which the army purchased from the US last year, the coast guard official said.

The coast guard, though not officially part of the military, has close links with it and receives assistance in personnel and equipment when necessary.

The Stinger is to replace another type of anti-aircraft missile already deployed on the island -- the Chaparral missile. The Chaparral missile system, carried by car, has been deployed on the island since it changed from military to coast guard oversight. The missiles are used to protect the island's only airport. The coast guard took over the island at the beginning of last year. "The reason we are replacing the Chaparral with the Stinger is that the Chaparral is an overly sophisticated weapon system which is difficult to maintain in a humid environment," the coast guard official said.

"The coast guard does not have the capability to maintain and repair the Chaparral missile system on an offshore island like the Pratas," the official said.

"The Stinger is easier to maintain and carry. We will also use it to protect Pratas' only airport. As for the Chaparral, we will send it back to Taiwan proper for use by troops guarding military airports," he said.

Erich Shih (施孝瑋), a senior editor with Defence International magazine, said it makes sense for the coast guard to replace the Chaparral with the Stinger.

"The Chaparral is indeed more difficult to maintain because it has to stay in the open air most of the time. The Stinger, on the other hand, is much easier to maintain, merely requiring a storage room which properly controls the temperature and humidity," Shih said.

Although the main reason the coast guard is deploying the Stinger is for easier maintenance, there are other factors contributing to the decision. One of the factors is China's growing military strength in the South China Sea, said a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pratas has very little weaponry with which to defend itself, the defense official said, and the Stinger will greatly beef up the island's self-defense capabilities.

The deployment comes just after military exercises by China in the South China Sea which involved a simulated invasion of Pratas island and an attack on an aircraft carrier, presumably one of the US, since Taiwan has none.

For the Chinese military, the US aircraft carriers are the most likely adversaries to be dealt with following an occupation of Pratas by force.

Pratas island is the only inhabitable part of the Pratas archipelago which consists of the island itself and two coral reefs. Pratas island is located 445km southwest of Kaohsiung.