Analysts doubt military's denials on cruise missiles

Though the nation's military denies it's developing a cruise missile or a medium-range ballistic missile, defense analysts say there's evidence such programs exist.

The military has made the denials, they said, to avoid creating controversy in the international community.

Media reports have said the military is developing a cruise missile code-named Hsiung Feng-IIE, a variant of the domestically built Hsiung Feng-II anti-ship missile.

The Ministry of National Defense has strongly denied that the Hsiung Feng-IIE is a cruise missile, saying it is merely an enhanced version of the Hsiung Feng-II missile.

But Erich Shih (施孝瑋), a senior editor with Defense International magazine, says there shouldn't be any doubt as to whether the Hsiung Feng-IIE is a cruise missile.

"The Hsiung Feng-IIE is not the only cruise missile being developed by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology," Shih said. "The Hsiung Feng-III missile under development at Chung Shan also has the potential to become a cruise missile."

Chung Shan has said that the Hsiung Feng-III is a super-sonic anti-ship missile, comparable to the Sunburn, a Russian-made equivalent that China has acquired.

"The Hsiung Feng-III is reported to have a range between 500km and 600km. With such a range, the missile surely has the potential to become a cruise missile in the future," Shih said.

Despite the missile's long range, the institute insists that the Hsiung Feng-III, like the Hsiung Feng-IIE, won't be a cruise missile as it is designed to be the navy's next-generation anti-ship missile.

But a defense source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Taipei Times that the military may be keeping quiet in an attempt to quell any potential controversy in the international community that could result if word got out Taiwan was developing cruise missiles.

"The missile is apparently being developed under technical assistance from the US. A prototype of the missile had been test-fired several years ago in the US. If the US is not involved in the Hsiung Feng-IIE development program, how was Taiwan able to test-fire its missile in the US?" the source said.

The Hsiung Feng-IIE missile reportedly has a maximum range of 1,000km, capable of reaching military targets in China such as Guangzhou in the south as well as Shenyang in the north.

The missile development program, code-named "Hsiung Sheng," has been progressing for several years.

In addition, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was reportedly made aware of the program by the military following the transfer of power last May.

The Hsiung Feng-IIE is reportedly a copycat of the US-made Tomahawk.

Although the Hsiung Feng-IIE is designed as an offensive weapon, the military doesn't plan to use it for a first strike against China, Taiwan's enemy. Rather, the military plans to use the missile as a part of a counter-strike should China attack Taiwan.

Besides the Hsiung Feng-IIE, the military also denies that it is developing a medium-range ballistic missile code-named "Dichin."

A Chinese-language media report last month said the Dichin project has been proceeding for some time, with several test-firings of a prototype.

A defense official, who refused to be identified, told the Taipei Times that the medium-range ballistic missile has been in existence for many years, though the project isn't called "Dichin."