Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday.
Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year.
Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added.
Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of striking targets 70 to 85km away, or one ATACMS, which has a range of 300km and circular error probability of 5 to 10m.
On May 12, the 58th Artillery Command conducted the first live-fire HIMARS drill at Jiupeng Base in Pingtung County’s Manzhou Township (滿州). The system was also tested by the Army Command Headquarters in June.
Photo courtesy of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense
The military is also planning to purchase nine additional sets of NASAMS, an L-band electronic array radar and a non-L-band electronic array radar to bolster the air defense of central and southern Taiwan, as well as 339 missiles of various types, the sources said.
Taiwan and the US previously signed a NT$24.99 billion (US$837 million) procurement contract for three NASAMS.
The first set of the three is expected to be delivered by the end of this year, sources said, adding that the NASAMS would be deployed near the capital to bolster its air defense.
The NASAMS can fire missiles used by fighter jets if the runways have been bombed, enabling air defense even if fighters are unable to take off, the source said.
If NASAMS are equipped with the extended range version of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, they would have a range of 50km, complementing the air force’s longer-range Patriot and Tien Kung missiles, as well as the shorter-range surface-launched Tien Chien II and AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense System, they added.
The planned procurement of the additional 28 sets of HIMARS would cost about NT$40 billion, while the planned purchase of nine more NASAMS and missiles of various types is expected to cost NT$110 billion, they said.
Upon approval by the Executive Yuan, the military would first deliver the special act for military procurements to the legislature for review, sources said.
The draft special budget act for military procurements would be delivered to the legislature after the special act for military procurements is passed, and only then would the special budget amount be made known, they added.
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