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Taipei seeks to boost radar capabilities

Fears that Beijing might consider using longer-range missiles against Taiwan is propelling the military to seek longer-range radar systems.

A system currently under development by the military-run Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) is now scheduled for deployment next year, defense sources said yesterday.

The development of the "Chang Shan" radar system, which is designed with a range of 1,000km, has entered the pre-deployment testing stage.

Its deployment is to be followed by the purchase of a longer-range radar system from the US.

The Chang Shan system is an improved version of the "Chang Bai" system, which the CSIST developed to be used in conjunction with the Tien Kung air defense system.

The US system is expected to have a range of over 3,000km, covering almost every Chinese missile base.

The military has yet to reach an agreement with the US on specifications for the radar and other items to be included in the package, sources said.

Additional items that the military wants along with the radar package include missile interceptors and supercomputers.

"With these items in hand, we can build a basic defense against China's ballistic missiles. We need more than just long-range radar," a defense official said.

The military's wish for a longer-range radar system than Chang Shan is due to growing fears that China might consider using long-range missiles against Taiwan.

The Dong Feng-3 missile, with a range of 3,500km and the M-18 intermediate-range missile, with a range of 1,000km, are two of the weapons Taiwanese officials are most concerned about, according to an internal army publication.

The Chan Shan radar system is designed to detect mainly short-range missiles, such as the M-9 and M-11, that are deployed across the Taiwan Strait.

The development of the Chan Shan radar system is said to have proceeded with the technical assistance of the US, but little information is available on the subject.

Based on the older Chang Bai radar system, Chan Shan has both a greater range and better detection capabilities.

"The Chang Bai system can only detect larger airborne objects and it cannot spot and track high-speed objects. These defects, I presume, will be improved in the Chang Shan system," said Chang Li-teh (張立德), a senior editor with the Defense Technology Monthly magazine.

The Chang Bai system is presently the backbone of the army's early warning system. It is deployed around Taiwan along with Tien Kung missiles.

Chang Bai radar sites would very likely be the first targets for Chinese attack in the event of an armed conflict between the two sides of the Strait.
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