Taiwan is planning to order an additional four PAC-3 MSE systems and up to 500 missiles in response to an increasing number of missile sites on China’s east coast, a defense official said yesterday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the proposed order would be placed using the defense procurement special budget, adding that about NT$1 trillion (US$32,88 billion) has been allocated for the budget.
The proposed acquisition would include launchers, missiles, and a lower tier air and missile defense radar system, they said
Photo: Reuters
The procurement was planned after the US military recommended that Taiwan increase its stock of air defense missiles, make use of mobile launcher systems and improve the capacity of ammunition depots, they said.
The US has conducted multiple studies on the effectiveness of Taiwan’s air defense against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s firepower, they added.
INCREASED ALTITUDE
The first batch of the PAC-3 MSE systems is expected to be delivered by the end of the year and would be deployed in Hualien and Taitung counties, they said.
The official declined to comment on whether US supply chain issues have led to a reduction in the size of missile shipments.
The PAC-3 MSE has an estimated maximum engagement altitude of 45km to 60km, an improvement over the PAC-3 base model’s 24km.
ENHANCEMENT
The advanced missile systems are expected to enhance the armed forces’ ability to intercept ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, as well as engage advanced fighter jets and other high-value targets.
Due to the larger size of the rockets used by the PAC-3 MSE system, the number of missiles each launch vehicle could carry is reduced from 16 to 12.
Separately, the defense procurement special budget reportedly would include funds for the production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles, which are designed to intercept targets at a maximum altitude of 70km.
The combination of PAC-3, PAC-3 MSE, Sky Bow III and Sky Bow IV systems is designed to create a mix capable of countering threats at all altitudes, sources said previously.
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