The armed forces are to set up the Republic of China Navy Sea Control Missile Command in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) by the end of the year, a defense official said yesterday.
The command would be headed by a rear admiral instead of a captain, underscoring the expanding size and importance of the navy’s anti-ship missile forces, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The headquarters would be comprised of administrative buildings and barracks, but no missile depot, which would be built elsewhere, due to opposition from local residents who did not want the base to be a potential target for strikes should China attack, the official said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Ministry of National Defense
In November last year, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) told a gathering of civic leaders in Yunlin County that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) resolved to remove the missile depot after consulting with defense officials.
That decision aligns with the armed forces’ strategy for mobile air and coastal defense missile forces, which emphasizes mobility and vehicle-mounted missile launcher platforms over fixed-position defenses, the source said.
Taiwan is slated to receive 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense System Launcher Transporter Units and 400 Harpoon missiles from the US to augment the domestically produced Hsiung Feng line of missiles in the coastal defense mission, they said.
Previously, the navy’s Hai Feng Shore Based Anti-ship Missile Group controlled all anti-ship missile forces, which consisted of six fixed-launcher squadrons, four mobile squadrons and one support squadron.
An increase in equipment and personnel necessitated the creation of additional mobile squadrons that could not be efficiently controlled by a group-sized headquarters, the official said.
The Sea Control Missile Command is to control the existing forces, now designated as the First Hai Feng Shore Based Anti-ship Missile Group, and new groups of fresh mobile missile squadrons, they said.
The command last year quietly activated its second missile forces group headquartered in Taichung’s Cingshui District (清水) while a third missile forces group is to be activated by the middle of this year, they said.
Meanwhile, the military is poised to launch a surge in production of anti-ship missiles over the next two years in response to the threat posed by Chinese warships and aircraft, Ministry of National Defense sources said.
The production surge is aimed at increasing the manufacturing scale of Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missile systems, they said.
The extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng II missiles increased the system’s effective range from 148km to an estimated 160km to 200km, and also feature improved maneuverability and anti-electronic warfare capabilities on par with Western designs, they said.
Hsiung Feng III missiles have an optimal engagement range of 150km to 200km, while the extended-range version has an effective range of 400km, the sources said.
The deployment of Hsiung Feng III missiles and the extend-range variants would greatly enhance the navy’s ability to defend the seas to Taiwan’s northern, eastern and southern areas, they said.
The ministry is also seeking to augment the mobility of the Hsiung Feng missile systems by fielding more mobile launch vehicles, sources said.
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS