The military will activate a new missile command on Jan. 1 incorporating air-defense missiles from the army and land-based, anti-ship missiles from the navy, defense sources said yesterday.
The command, based on the army's current missile control authority, is to preside over the largest number of premium missiles in the armed forces.
The command might also become an independent unit in the future, similar to the the Chinese military's second artillery corps, if it develops as planned.
Missiles to be placed under the command's authority include the locally built Tien Kung-series missiles and the Hawk and Patriot PAC-2 Plus missiles purchased from the US, which are the army's primary air-defense weaponry and which are attached to the army missile control.
The Patriot PAC-3 missile system, which the military has announced it intends to purchase, will also be assigned to the command.
The land-based, Hsiung Feng-series anti-ship missiles will be the only weapons system that the command will take over from the other services. These missiles are currently under navy control.
The command is not expected to encounter problems absorbing the missiles from the army's missile control as the missiles have been under a unified system of control for many years.
But the command might not fare so well in its use of the anti-ship missiles to be transferred from the navy, and the navy had been reluctant to turn over all its Hsiung Feng-series missiles to the command.
The army's air-defense missiles are the first to be taken over by the missile command when it is inaugurated on Jan. 1.
But the navy's anti-ship missiles will not change hands until July 1. By then, the combined number of missiles will number well over 2,000.
The command, to be headed by a two-star army general, will operate from the army's general headquarters, and is effectively an upgrading of the army's missile control, now led by a one-star general.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said initial plans for the command incorporated all major air-defense missiles from the three services.
"If the missile command had been built according to the original plan, it could have become a virtually independent missile force. But both the air force and the navy were not happy about the fact that the command was to be controlled by the army. They were quite reserved about the scope of the changes," the official said.
"The air force and navy had doubts about whether the army had the ability to command and control their missile systems. The doubts were reasonable considering that the army is the weakest of the three services in command and control infrastructure," he said.
"The army is the only service to benefit from the change. It could get an extra two-star general as well as a number of lower-ranked positions, which makes a great difference considering that personnel cuts across the services start next year," he added.
As a result of objections from the air force, the command was not provided with its missile systems, such as the land-based Sparrow air-defense missile.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS