Lawmaker and ex-navy chief Nelson Ku (
The market price for the SM-II missile is NT$14 million apiece, but the navy plans to pay over NT$40 million for each missile, Ku said.
Ku said the SM-II missile will be more expensive because the US does not want to sell any such missiles from its own inventory and will have to re-open production lines to make the missile for Taiwan.
Ku questioned whether the arrangement is a good one since a stockpiled missile is as good as a newly-produced one.
"Because of the decision, the navy will spend a total of NT$13 billion on 248 SM-II missiles that will be deployed on the four Kidd-class destroyers that will be bought from the US," he said.
Ku made the remarks yesterday at a meeting of the legislature's Defense Committee as part of his questioning of the Ministry of National Defense.
In response, deputy defense minister for administrative affairs Kang Ning-hsiang (康寧祥), who was the highest-ranking defense official to attend yesterday's defense committee meeting, said he accepted Ku's criticism.
Kang asked for understanding from Ku. "The best solution is to have lawmakers with the defense committee meet with defense officials responsible for arms purchase to discuss issues such as the cost of a single arms deal," Kang said. He wished such open discussions of arms-purchase affairs could start as soon as next year, but he said it would not be possible this year.
In addition to the SM-II missile, Ku also warned that if the navy insists on buying the four Kidds, it will be faced with a situation where there won't be sufficient spare parts for the ships.
"The US no longer produces spare parts for the Kidds. They have to restart production to supply us with new ones. It will cost a lot of money," Ku said.
"I fear that some arms dealers might start to stock spare parts for the Kidds so as to monopolize the business. The navy will have no choice but to turn to these arms dealers for an immediate supply of spare parts for the destroyers," he said. "If so, the navy will also have to spend a lot of money on spare parts."
Ku strongly questioned the figure that the navy gave for the projected annual expenditure for repair and maintenance of the four Kidds.
The navy estimates that it will spend only NT$1.6 billion in repair and maintenance costs for the four Kidds each year.
With his past experience in the navy, Ku said the navy will have to spend much more than it currently estimates.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS