The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said it would invest NT$970 million (US$32.2 million) over the next three years to establish a facility to hold simulated combat scenarios that use lasers instead of live ammunition in response to protests over the environmental effects of military drills.
The ministry concluded its annual five-day Han Kuang exercise on Friday.
The facility would use laser emitters and receptors to simulate trading of fire on both sides, officials said, adding that the system has a “playback” function that would allow participating units to watch replays and review tactics.
After evaluating offers from US, Swiss and Taiwanese companies, the ministry rewarded the contract to Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology.
The institute would begin working on the project this year with the facility expected to become operational by 2019, the ministry said.
The ministry said it would be building facilities in its southern and northern training centers for a single battalion-strength unit, adding that another system would be set up at the Army Command Headquarters training center for a mechanized infantry battalion.
A similar system was installed in 2006, but its laser emitters are showing signs of wear, the ministry said, adding that its receptors have limited range and its sensors cannot be mounted on any vehicle other than Humvees.
The limitations make the system insufficient for the military’s training and assessment needs, the ministry said.
Live-fire exercises for all types of precision missiles across all branches of the armed forces would continue, the ministry said, adding that the drills would be held next month and in July.
Live-fire exercises must be held separately from the Han Kuang exercise because they need to be held in Jioupeng Bay (九鵬灣) and data from missile launches are gathered in a specific manner, officials said.
Short-range anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship missiles are the main types of missiles to be tested during next month’s drill, officials said.
The army would be testing the Chaparral surface-to-air (SAM) missile system, while Stinger missiles would be test-fired by both the army and the marines, they said.
Helicopter-borne Hellfire missiles would also be fired during the exercises, the ministry said.
From next month to July, the ministry would be placing all units equipped with tube-launched optically tracked and wire-command linked missiles on alert for the exercises.
All missiles would be tracking targets off the coast of Taiwan proper, the ministry said.
The ministry did not offer specific information regarding the test-fire of long-range air-to-air, SAM, naval SAM or long-range anti-ship missiles, saying only that launches are planned.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
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