The ongoing military action against Libya could provide some good news for Taiwan, defense officials said.
The US Navy’s new EA-18G “Growler,” an electronic warfare aircraft, has been seeing its first combat experience in the military action against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and has reportedly been performing well. Given its capabilities, the aircraft could play a vital role in the defense of Taiwan should the US intervene in any armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
One military Web site reported: “As the United Nations-sanctioned war against Libya moves into its third day, no US, French or British aircraft have been shot down by Libyan air defenses. Part of the credit should go to the Navy’s new jammer.”
Photo: Reuters
US Vice Admiral Bill Gortney told media that the EA-18G had provided electronic warfare support to the coalition’s attack.
Jammers such as the EA-18G are platforms equipped with electronic countermeasures providing an umbrella of protection for ground and air forces by jamming enemy radar, electronic data links and communications systems.
While details remain classified, the “Growler” — which is replacing the Navy’s EA-6B “Prowler” jammer fleet — is believed to have located and disabled the communications systems used by Libyan tank columns and defeated surface-to-air missiles, thus enabling the coalition to launch air strikes against ground forces.
Sources said the Growler would soon have the capability to insert viruses into enemy command networks, causing electronic chaos.
“The Growler’s performance could certainly be good news for Taiwan,” John Pike, head of the Washington-based Global Security think tank, told the Taipei Times. “While China has more advanced equipment than Libya, the US remains about twenty years ahead of Beijing.”
“It’s a cat and mouse game of measures and counter-measures, but with the latest US advances we can probably blind the Chinese radars. And if they can’t see us, they can’t hit us,” he said.
A specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, the Growler has become a Pentagon priority. Two years ago, the Pentagon decided to buy more Growlers rather than continue production of the F-22 stealth fighter.
A US defense expert said the US Navy’s “real plan” for winning any future air war with China was to attack “where they’re most vulnerable” — in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The star of that spectrum, experts said, is the Growler.
Asked about China’s development of a new stealth aircraft and long-range anti-ship missiles earlier this year, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that China’s “anti-access programs” were being dealt with.
In particular, Gates’ aides mentioned China’s efforts to impede US access in any conflict over Taiwan.
Gates said at the time that the US would speed up its development of electronic jammers to improve the ability to fight and survive in an anti-access environment.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS