The navy will equip its only two operational submarines with advanced anti-ship missiles, a leading defense magazine reports in this week's edition, in an article released early on its Web site.
The two Zwaardvis-class submarines, the Hai Lung (
The move is considered a cheap way for the Taiwanese navy to address what some analysts have called critical shortcomings in its ability to defend against a Chinese invasion.
Still, the article quoted one source as saying "[the submarines'] ability to fire a Harpoon is considered marginal at best."
The Harpoons that Taiwan is to acquire could include a modification that would give Taiwan "the capability of attacking coastal, in-harbor and land targets," Jane's said.
"This will place China's key naval bases of Shantou, Xiamen, Sandu, Xaizhen, Shanghai and Zhoushan in Taiwan's crosshairs," the magazine said.
Taiwan technically has a fleet of four submarines, but the navy's two Guppy-class subs -- built by the US in the middle of World War II -- are considered suitable only for training, and are not equipped with torpedoes.
The Dutch-built Zwaardvis-class submarines were built in the 1980s, and have in the past been armed with wire-guided torpedoes that have had a series of technical problems.
Taiwan's navy considers its submarine program to be one area that requires a great deal of attention, due to the perceived key role submarines could play in breaking or preventing a Chinese naval blockade. For this reason, the Ministry of National Defense has sought the purchase of additional submarines for several years, in an effort to beef up the nation's submarine fleet.
In 2001, Washington approved a deal in which it would procure eight diesel-electric submarines for purchase by Taiwan. That deal has long been stymied as part of the special arms procurement budget bill, which has been blocked 29 times in the Legislative Yuan by pro-unification legislators from the Chinese Nationalist Party and the People First Party.
China, which has repeatedly threatened to invade Taiwan under a wide array of conditions, has one of the world's largest submarine fleets, with about 70 operational vessels as of this year, according to Pentagon reports.
The US maintains a fleet of more than 50 nuclear-powered attack submarines.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
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