The air force yesterday confirmed that it has requested the purchase of additional Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors from the US to counter a growing Chinese threat to national security, while the Control Yuan sought corrections to the paperwork.
The missiles are to be delivered in 2025 or 2026, and be deployed by the end of 2026, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report to the Legislative Yuan.
Sources in the air force declined to comment on budget allocations for the missiles, or the number to be purchased.
Photo: AP
The report said that the request was made in 2019.
The missiles’ “revolutionary two-pulse solid rocket motor provides increased performance in both altitude and range while employing the same proven hit-to-kill,” said the Web site of Lockheed-Martin, which manufactures the weapons system. “The two-pulse solid rocket motor and enhanced airframe gives the interceptor more maneuverability against faster and more sophisticated tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.”
Taiwan received its first PAC-2 systems in 1997, with upgrades to PAC-3 being implemented since 2007.
Taiwan has deployed more than 400 PAC-3 missiles.
However, the Control Yuan passed a motion to issue the ministry with a corrective measure notice, citing “faulty procedures” regarding the paperwork for the purchase of the missiles.
The military issues regular recertification requests to the US to keep its equipment up to date and well-maintained, the Control Yuan said, but added that the 2019 request for yesterday’s proposed purchase had not been signed by the minister of national defense.
The legislature only learned of the purchase proposal after it was approved for committee hearings at the US Congress, a Control Yuan report said, adding that it has issued the corrective measure notice so that it could oversee changes to administrative procedures for arms purchases.
Separately, the ministry also confirmed that the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has fulfilled its quota for this year of 23 Tien Kung (Skybow) 3 missiles.
The ministry had commissioned the institute to provide Skybow missiles yearly from 2015 to 2024, in a NT$74.83 billion (US$2.62 billion at the current exchange rate) contract.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in 2019 asked the institute to expedite production of the Tien Kung and Hsiung Feng missiles series without sacrificing quality.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research senior analyst Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) told the Central News Agency that Skybow-3s have a higher intercept altitude than PAC-3s, although the PAC-3s have better precision.
The systems complement each other, Su said.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
REASSURANCE: The US said Taiwan’s interests would not be harmed during the talk and that it remains steadfast in its support for the nation, the foreign minister said US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would bring up Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea this week. “I will be talking about Taiwan [with Xi],” Trump told reporters before he departed for his trip to Asia, adding that he had “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” “We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we’ll have a good meeting,” Trump said. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue between the US and China.
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS