A deal to purchase an upgraded naval vessel communications system worth NT$2.15 billion (US$68.18 million) has been finalized with the US government, a high-ranking Taiwanese military officer said yesterday.
The officer, who declined to be named, said the deal secured the purchase of upgraded Link-16 and Link-11 systems, which would connect the Republic of China (ROC) Navy directly to the command center for the US’ Pacific fleet.
The system will give the ROC Navy the ability to share coordinates and other information with the US Seventh Fleet during combat operations, the officer said, adding that the move ties the two navies closer together.
Image in the public domain provided by Wikimedia Commons
The systems are already in use by NATO members and the US’ other allies in the Pacific, the officer said, adding that information can be shared among all allies during combat operations should the need arise.
The US can direct all of its allies in the field to coordinate operations, the officer said.
The officer said some of the ROC Navy’s ships would use the Link-16 system, which will connect those ships to other vessels, land-based radar systems and other military installations.
Kidd-class destroyers, Cheng Kung-class frigates, Lafayette-class frigates and Knox-class frigates would all use the Link-16 system, the officer said, adding that missile-equipped patrol ships and support vessels would use the Link-11 system, which only connects with other vessels.
The officer said the deal was rushed through with coordination between the American Institute in Taiwan and military representatives stationed in the US, adding that shipment and installation of the systems are expected to be completed by June 2021.
The officer said that while the systems’ main components are to be acquired from the US, communications and photoelectric components would be produced by domestic manufacturers.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that control over information is at the heart of armed conflict.
An effective means to transmit information is fundamental to military strategy, Lo said, adding that the procurement of the Link-16 and Link-11 systems would greatly benefit the nation’s military.
DPP Legislator Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) said the process of military cooperation with allies in the region began late last year when Taiwan, Japan and the US communicated military aircraft identifier signal information with each other, adding that Japan included contingencies for a possible conflict in the Taiwan Strait among recent training activities.
Outcomes in modern military conflicts are decided within seconds, Wang said, adding that the systems would dramatically improve the military’s reaction time and allow for rapid coordination of movements.
Additional reporting by Aaron Tu
The Chien Feng IV (勁蜂, Mighty Hornet) loitering munition is on track to enter flight tests next month in connection with potential adoption by Taiwanese and US armed forces, a government source said yesterday. The kamikaze drone, which boasts a range of 1,000km, debuted at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in September, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defense jointly developed the platform by leveraging the engine and airframe of the latter’s MQM-178 Firejet target drone, they said. The uncrewed aerial vehicle is designed to utilize an artificial intelligence computer
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday decided to shelve proposed legislation that would give elected officials full control over their stipends, saying it would wait for a consensus to be reached before acting. KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) last week proposed amendments to the Organic Act of the Legislative Yuan (立法院組織法) and the Regulations on Allowances for Elected Representatives and Subsidies for Village Chiefs (地方民意代表費用支給及村里長事務補助費補助條例), which would give legislators and councilors the freedom to use their allowances without providing invoices for reimbursement. The proposal immediately drew criticism, amid reports that several legislators face possible charges of embezzling fees intended to pay
REQUIREMENTS: The US defense secretary must submit a Taiwan security assistance road map and an appraisal of Washington’s ability to respond to Indo-Pacific conflict The US Congress has released a new draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes up to US$1 billion in funding for Taiwan-related security cooperation next year. The version published on Sunday by US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson removed earlier language that would have invited Taiwan to participate in the US-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). A statement on Johnson’s Web page said the NDAA “enhances U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to bolster Taiwan’s defense and support Indo-Pacific allies.” The bill would require the US secretary of defense to “enable fielding of uncrewed and anti-uncrewed systems capabilities”
Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating yesterday, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced people in both countries living in strained conditions as more flooded into temporary shelters. Reporters on the Thai side of the border heard sounds of outgoing, indirect fire yesterday. About 400,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas in Thailand and about 700 schools closed while fighting was ongoing in four border provinces, said Thai Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesman for the military. Cambodia evacuated more than 127,000 villagers and closed hundreds of schools, the Thai Ministry of Defense said. Thailand’s military announced that
RSS