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.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
RSS