China is developing a new class of helicopters that could pose a direct threat to Taiwan, a leading US military analyst said.
In the case of an attack, Taiwan would have much less time to mobilize its counter-invasion forces, said Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center (IASC).
He says that at the China Helicopter Exposition held in Tianjin, China, earlier this month, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) revealed two advanced helicopter concepts in model form — a quad-tilt rotor and a high-speed design.
While it could be some time before they are operational, their development is advanced enough to cause concern, he said.
“They are the result of an accelerated Chinese investment in helicopter technology that aims to raise indigenous design and production capabilities to world-class levels,” Fisher said.
In “China’s Advanced Helicopter Concepts” — published this week by the IASC — Fisher says that one of China’s new helicopters, known as the Blue Whale, will have a quad-tilt rotor design and a 20-tonne payload.
It is expected to have a range of 3,100km and a combat radius of 815km.
The Blue Whale will feature significant use of composite materials, “intelligent” avionics and flight controls and cabin noise levels similar to that of airliners.
Also unveiled in Tianjin was the high-speed Jueying-8 “Absolute Shadow,” which was described as an unmanned high-speed helicopter technology test platform.
It is expected to have a top speed of 450kph and may make its first flight in 2015.
“The emergence of a Chinese quad tilt rotor program points to potential Chinese strategic intentions,” Fisher wrote.
“It now appears, provided it can overcome technical challenges and sustain funding, that China may be the first to reap the strategic benefits of new concepts for heavy and fast vertical lift,” Fisher said.
He speculates that with a Blue Whale that could lift 20 tonnes at speeds of more than 480kph, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could be the first to deploy in a regional conflict.
It might, for example, occupy the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台列嶼) or capture airfields in the Sakashima Islands, which would allow larger transport aircraft to bring in heavy air defense and anti-ship ballistic missiles to thwart a Japanese-US attempt to retake the islands.
“From the Sakashimas, the Blue Whale could also spearhead a multi-axis attack to capture airfields on Taiwan with current light-weight Chinese Airborne mechanized forces, to ease the way for follow-on invasion forces,” Fisher said.
In an interview with the Taipei Times, Fisher said the emergence of the Blue Whale means the PLA could attempt to capture key targets in Taiwan like the Presidential Office or the National Security Bureau without first capturing airfields and ports.
“The ability of a platform like the Blue Whale to rapidly project both fighting vehicles and significant numbers of heavily armed infantry and special forces also means that Taiwan will have much less time to mobilize its counter-invasion forces,” he said.
Fisher said that if the PLA meets with success in developing tilt rotor technology, then consideration should be given by Taiwan to training police and militia in the use of shoulder-fired anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles.
Taiwan should consider buying more of these weapons to ensure they are “immediately available” to counter PLA airborne invasion forces, he said.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
Tourism in Kenting fell to a historic low for the second consecutive year last year, impacting hotels and other local businesses that rely on a steady stream of domestic tourists, the latest data showed. A total of 2.139 million tourists visited Kenting last year, down slightly from 2.14 million in 2024, the data showed. The number of tourists who visited the national park on the Hengchun Peninsula peaked in 2015 at 8.37 million people. That number has been below 2.2 million for two years, although there was a spike in October last year due to multiple long weekends. The occupancy rate for hotels
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS