Mechanical problems and human error were behind another less-than-stellar air defense missile test on Monday, on the heels of an equally unsatisfactory major missile exercise earlier this year.
Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) said mechanical problem and operational shortcomings were responsible for the poor performance of Monday’s missile tests, adding that the military would continue to investigate the causes of the malfunctions.
Missile performance is “unstable,” Kao told reporters in the legislature yesterday.
The missile exercise was held at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s (CSIST) Jiupeng testing base in Pingtung County, the same location as the missile test on Jan. 18, in which six of the 19 missiles fired encountered technical problems.
Following January’s exercise, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who was present at the drill, said he was “not happy” with the results and that he hoped the military would determine the reasons and improve its training.
News of the latest failure was first made public by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsueh Ling (薛凌). Soon afterwards, the military confirmed the failure.
One locally made Tien Chien II “Sky Sword” (TC-II) fired from a Ching Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter, one US-made AIM-7 “Sparrow” fired from an F-16A/B, one French-made MICA fired from a Mirage 2000 and one -surface-to-air “Sparrow” were used in the exercise, the Air Force said.
The TC-II and AIM-7 hit their targets, while the MICA and surface-to-air “Sparrow” missed, it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Justin Chou (周守訓) said the military had failed to improve its performance, adding this was a serious warning to the Air Force and the public could lose confidence in the nation’s air defense capabilities.
The latest failure comes in the wake on an announcement by the National Security Bureau (NSB) that China was continuing to modernize the very ballistic missile capabilities against which the missiles tested on Monday and in January are deployed.
NSB Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) told the legislature last week that China had begun deploying longer-range Dong Feng-16 (DF-16) ballistic missiles and that older short-range ballistic missiles, such as the DF-11 and DF-15, were now equipped with multiple warheads, which would add a substantial burden to Taiwan’s air defense systems.
Although the deployment of the DF-16 has yet to be confirmed by allied intelligence, a number of defense experts have said their existence was not in doubt, given that the DF-11s and DF-16s, developed in the 1980s and fielded in the 1990s, were due for an overhaul.
Meanwhile, Kao said the military would improve the training and equipment of its chemical warfare corps amid efforts to strengthen its ability to cope with nuclear disasters, adding that it might reconsider a plan announced earlier this week to downsize its chemical warfare corps by as much as 30 percent from about 3,000 personnel.
Additional reporting by J. Michael Cole and CNA
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
RSS