Israeli-made drone aircraft at the heart of a fierce political row between Israel and the US are likely to be a key element of any Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a Taiwanese military analyst said yesterday.
The US has imposed a series of tough military sanctions against Israel to pressure it to confiscate "Harpy" drone aircraft parts that China returned to state-owned manufacturer Israel Aircraft Industries last year.
Israel says the return was for routine maintenance, but Washington contends it was for an important technological upgrade. Israeli military officials have said work on the Harpy deal has been frozen.
With a range of 500km, the Harpy has the ability to locate and destroy enemy radar facilities. US officials fear China could use it to compromise the defense of Taiwan and endanger US military forces in the Pacific.
Milton Liao of the Council of Advanced Political Studies said the Harpy could be used in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan to destroy the nation's radar capabilities -- including those on its Patriot anti-missile system -- as part of gaining air superiority over the Taiwanese military.
Once air superiority was obtained, he said, the way would be cleared for a full-scale Chinese invasion across the Taiwan Straits.
The Harpy operates by overflying enemy air defenses, identifying the location of enemy radar installations through the electronic signals they emit, and then destroying them with a 32kg explosive payload.
Liao said the Harpy's effectiveness is enhanced by its small size -- it is only 2.1m long with a wingspan of 2.7m -- which makes it difficult for enemy radar to detect, allowing it to loiter around potential targets for extended periods of time.
He said that in any Chinese invasion of Taiwan it would be far more important than the other main anti-radar weapon in the Chinese inventory, the J-5, an aging MiG-type aircraft transformed by Chinese technicians into an unmanned drone vehicle in 2002.
A former US government official with long experience analyzing the Chinese military backed Liao's analysis. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Taiwanese military officials declined to comment on the Harpy controversy.
Earlier this month, Israeli officials and media reports said the US had imposed a series of tough sanctions on the Israeli arms industry since the beginning of the year, escalating tensions between the two allies over Israeli military sales to China.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS